


Why I'm Here

by ProdigyBlood



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: All characters need a hug, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Clueless Boys, Cute Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Link (Legend of Zelda) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Link never got back his lost years, M/M, Majoras Mask mentions, Non-con/suicide are for OC character, Poor bean, Slow Burn, Sort Of, Verbal Link, basically my OC is a grump to begin with, he has his reasons, nothing graphic, will add more tags if requested
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:55:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 40,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22790566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProdigyBlood/pseuds/ProdigyBlood
Summary: When Link returns to Hyrule all he wants is to find a quiet house and live out the rest of his days in peace. At the request of soon-to-be-queen Zelda, however, Link ends up embarking on one final quest. One of Zelda's soldiers needs help and she can't turn to anyone else. What was meant to be a quick search and rescue turns into something more and, as the soldier and Link grow closer, the lines between who's saving who start to blur.
Relationships: Link/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 56





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Important trigger info**   
> This fic contains characters suffering from PTSD. There is also minor mentions (that drive the plot) to a character who was raped and subsequently took her own life. It is implied that there was more to her decision than just the non-con. Please note that I am not an expert in any of this but I have tried to handle the themes sensitively. There is nothing graphic, but please consider the themes before you read further. 
> 
> For the most part, this is a cute romance and I really hope you enjoy and grow to love my OC as much as I do <3

The cold morning air had a sharp bite to it, its winds rustling leaves kissed by autumn. The vast, grassy stretch of Hyrule field almost seemed to twinkle as rays of dull light caught the dewy spiderwebs crisscrossing its blades. It was a spectacular sight reminiscent to the nights' sky and it caught the hero, Link’s breath as he passed beneath the wooden sign that marked Lon Lon Ranch. He stared in awe for a moment, the familiar sight churning emotions he wasn't ready to deal with in his stomach. It had been dark when he’d finally approached the ranch the previous night and, while Link’s night vision was better than most, even he hadn’t been able to appreciate the full glory of the view Hyrule had to offer. Past the long stretch of sparkling grass, mountains lined the horizon, partly hidden by the misty morning air. Less obscured by nature, Hyrule Castle was visible, standing majestically as though its plight with Gannondorf had never happened. As if everything Link had been though was merely a bad dream that had long since passed.

It had been many years since Link had cast his blue eyes over this particular view. It stirred within him a cocktail of both sad and happy memories but all of them nostalgic. All of them throwing him back to a time when he was… Well, a time when he was not carefree exactly but definitely happier. Definitely less plagued by the nightmares of his trials.

Asides from the morning birdsong and the ghostly whoosh of wind, the only sound was the occasional hum from a nearby Peahat minding its own business. It was almost haunting how quiet the path between Lon Lon Ranch and Castle Town was, but Link didn’t mind. He had always been a bit of a loner, truth be told. He wasn’t much of a talker and while it was nice to exchange a pleasant smile with a passerby, Link didn’t really want to get dragged into a conversation about the bleak morning. There was only so much one could say about the drizzle. Those kinds of conversations grew tiresome fast and, while Link was good at many things, – fighting for example – small talk was not one of them.

Glancing over his shoulder, Link peered back at the ranch where he’d left his horse, Epona. In part, Epona had stayed with Malon for a well-deserved break. They had been on the road for months, after all, as they ventured back towards the familiar sights of Link’s childhood. Mostly, though, Link left her because she made him too recognisable. Even without his green tunic, a blond man with an elegant horse was enough to strike up whispers and stares.

It had been years since Link had saved Hyrule from Ganondorf and his reign of terror but while stories changed with time, they were never forgotten. People still remembered the young hero in green and they used his adventures as bedtime stories for their children. 

“People will only bat an eyelid if you walk into town in the tunic,” Malon had promised. He was sure she was right. Regardless, he still walked slowly, prolonging the journey as much as the frosty air would allow.

Link had thought he’d wanted to return to Hyrule but now that he was here, he couldn’t stop the tremble in his hands. This place had been the start of him, of what he _represented,_ and when he’d left, he’d never expected to come back. Link certainly hadn’t expected to be drawn like a moth to a flame. The call to return had been strong, though. Stronger even than the call to leave.

Link had been on the road for years and now it was time to return _home._

Malon was right. Without his tunic, when he reached castle town nobody spared him a glance unless it was to try and sell him something. To the locals, he was just another visitor come to celebrate Zelda’s coronation. Even faces Link realised _he_ recognised didn’t spare him a second glance. For them, it had been over six years since they’d seen his face. He’d been a child. He wasn’t a child anymore.

As much as Link enjoyed seeing the town he’d saved bustling, he soon longed to escape its crowds. Ducking past the Happy Mask Shop (not only still in business but _thriving_ in the lead up to the coronation) and the not-so-happy memories it stirred within him, Link made his way to the Temple of Time. He pushed down surfacing memories of Termina as he passed a trio of teenagers sat on the steps. They didn’t spare Link a second glance.

Inside it was, thankfully, empty. It sent a beat through Link’s body to be back where it had all happened. His steps echoed but the all-too-familiar building was otherwise silent. It was strange, being back. This building had been at the centre of it all and yet it looked… ordinary. The spiritual stones he’d painstakingly fought for were gone and without them, it was just a cold, empty room.

Link slid down against the wall, stretching his legs out in front of him. He let his eyes flutter, his thoughts drifting to the friends he’d lost. Friends he’d last seen in this very building through doors that were shut to him now the spiritual stones were gone. He hated that he hadn’t been able to save them, not really. They were fulfilling a higher purpose as Sages, but Link would have preferred them to be living, breathing and somewhere he could visit. Somewhere where they continue the mortal lives that were cut short for them.

Time passed. Link wasn’t sure how long. He thought he might have drifted off at one point. Only the clearing of a throat brought him back to his senses. He automatically reached for his sword, even before registering the two castle guards stood before him. He stopped reaching for his weapon, but only a fool would miss how he remained alert, ready should they be here to attack him.

“We’re here to escort you to the castle, sir,” the younger of the two guards said. From the awe _not_ hidden by his helmet, Link knew his cover was blown.

He went with them willingly.

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that you knew I was here,” Link said in way of greeting as the princess turned to him. They were in her garden, where they had first met all those years ago. Link doubted it was a coincidence.

“It is my job to know the happenings in my Kingdom,” Zelda said. She held herself with poise. Though she was only twenty-three, she exuded authority. Zelda was every bit the queen she would soon officially be. Despite that, when she smiled at Link in the next moment, she seemed transformed. Suddenly, she seemed like just a normal, happy girl and not a queen burdened by responsibility. “It’s good to see you, Link.”

“And you,” he said, matching her smile.

“I’m so happy you came!”

“I wouldn’t want to miss your coronation,” he said.

“Word travels far and fast,” Zelda said and there was a hint of sadness in her tone.

“I’m sorry about your mother.”

“Thank you.” She sent him another smile, less radiant than the first, tainted by internal troubles. “Walk with me.”

For a short while, they walked in silence. Link preferred this. He had no problem with talking but, given the choice, he preferred either listening or comfortable silence. Sometimes if he wondered if his preference for quiet was due to the heavy burden that had been handed to him at such a young age. He’d been ten when told to save Hyrule. That was a lot to put on a child’s shoulders. Even with the triforce of courage to guide him, he’d been but a boy. He should have been naive to the dangers of the world, not trying to protect it from evil.

The royal gardens were beautiful. They boasted some of the best flowers Link had ever seen, and he had travelled a lot. Still, it was hard to admire their beauty when he could sense the princess was revving herself up to say something. Despite his better judgement, Link couldn’t help the panic that rose within him. What if Ganondorf had found a way back? Would Zelda ask him to once more risk his life to protect her land? If so, what answer could he give but yes?

“I have a request to make of you,” the princess said finally. Link realised that she’d waited until they were in an enclosed area of the garden, out of earshot of the guards who had been trailing them inconspicuously. Link knew it was a formality, but it was a bit of an insult on both of them as the hero of time and Sheik respectively. Maybe they thought she needed protecting from _him?_

Link didn’t say anything, he just stopped walking to look at her.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I always seem to have requests of you, Link. This one, at least, has less weight to it. I don’t need you to save my kingdom. I just need you to save one of its people.”

That got Link’s attention.

“One of my soldiers,” Zelda continued, “he lost his way. I don’t know the full story, just that something happened with his sister, but he didn’t receive the help he wanted. There were fights and the captain was forced to let him go. He burned a lot of bridges, but I’ve been informed he since got himself into a bit of trouble. The royal guards, they would help if I ordered it, but I worry it would cause more problems than it would solve. I need somebody on the outside, somebody he hasn’t hurt. Or who hasn’t hurt him.”

“And you want me to what?” Link arched an eyebrow. “Bring him back so you can lock him up?”

“Of course not!” Zelda sounded affronted but she calmed quickly, her expression dropping to one of sadness again. “Family is important, and we let him down. I understand his anger. If he really is in trouble, I just want somebody to help him. I don’t want to let him down again. He’s a good kid, really, Link, I promise you. He’s just… He’s lost.” Zelda looked a little lost, too. 

Link studied the princess. It had only been a couple of months since her mother, the queen, had died. Years before she had lost her father. Link didn’t know what had happened with this guard’s sister but judging from the princess’ interest, she related. She believed she had let the guard down once and she didn’t want to do so again. Link could understand that.

“I know it’s a lot to ask,” Zelda admitted. “I may be your princess, but I still feel bad that all our meetings have involved me asking you to put yourself at risk for me. Feel free to turn me down, I won’t judge you for it.”

Link bowed then, low and lingering. “Your highness,” he said when he rose. “It would be my honour to assist you.”

What was one more quest? He was Hyrule’s chosen hero; he may have served his time, but it wouldn’t sit well on him if he ignored a plea for help. Especially when that plea came from his soon to be queen. 

“Thank you, Link,” Zelda said. “I am once more in your debt.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Three days. Link had just three days until Zelda’s coronation. You could do a lot in three days though and Link had achieved more than most. He’d had only three days to save Termina from the moon that refused to stay up in the sky where it belonged. If Link could do that, then he could do this. He could find this soldier – Zikan, Zelda had told him – and make it back in time to see his princess become his queen.

_“He lives in Kakariko village,”_ Zelda had said. _“From what I’ve been told, he ventured up Death Mountain a few days ago and hasn’t been seen since.”_

It had been a long time since Link had been to Kakariko village. It had expanded over the years, accommodating for the growing population. Even with the extra houses, the familiarity of the place hit Link like a punch to the gut. There was the windmill, the well, the entrance to the graveyard… And there, in the distance, was Death Mountain.

Link took a deep breath. He was still wearing his basic armour. He wasn’t sure he ever wanted to don the tunic again. Not when he could navigate the streets without a second glance in its absence. It was freeing to be able to approach people without them gawping.

“Excuse me,” he said quietly to a young lady sitting on a bench, feeding the cuccos. She was probably about the same age as his missing soldier – nineteen. Perhaps they had been friends? The young lady looked up, eyes widening a little. Link stiffened, afraid that somehow his cover had been blown. When her lips curved into a small smile, however, Link realised it was so much worse.

“Hello,” she said, her fingers automatically finding a strand of loose hair to twirl between her fingers coyly. “You’re new.”

“Just passing through,” Link said hastily. As he’d grown older, Link had become taller and broader, his jawline more chiselled. He’d discovered that he no longer solely had to fight monsters, but unwanted advances, too. It wasn’t that he was opposed to settling down with someone one day, but he had never understood how people could be so brazen about it. He’d never once looked at a person and decided he liked the look of them enough to try his luck. The fact that it happened to him semi-frequently made him, quite frankly, a little uncomfortable.

“That’s a shame,” the girl said, although it didn’t seem to stop her shameless gazing.

“Uh,” Link glanced over her shoulder, wishing he’d picked the little old lady with hunched shoulders who was navigating the path surprisingly quickly. “I just had a question. Do you know Zikan?”

The girl scowled at the name. She definitely knew him, but it didn’t seem as if they were friends.

“What do you wanna know about him for?”

“He’s missing.”

“Good riddance,” the girl grumbled. “He stood me up. So, like a month ago we were going to have a date. I was so excited about it, but the jerk never showed up! I mean, I know I’m not the most beautiful girl, but I have feelings, y’know? And I deserve love.”

Link was a little flabbergasted by her unexpected rant. He managed to nod in what he hoped was a sympathetic way. “Of course, you do,” he agreed. “And, um, I’m sure you’ll find someone much better.” As her gaze brightened and returned to his, Link took a hasty step backwards. “Can you point out his house? Did he live with anyone?”

The girls’ expression dropped again, and Link had a hard time telling whether it was due to his obvious disinterest or what she said next. “It’s that one,” she pointed across from them to a small house near the steps. Link couldn’t be certain, but he thought it was one of the original houses that had been there during his previous visit to the village. “It was just him and his sister, she pretty much raised him. She died a few weeks ago. It was quite sad, really. Very unexpected.”

Link had suspected as much but he still felt his heart pang with sadness. He wasn’t sure he could blame Zikan for going a little off the rails if he’d just lost the one person he had left in the world. Link could see why Zelda related so much and why she had reached out to Link for his help.

Link glanced at the house again before turning back to the girl. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. “And I, uh, I hope you find what you’re looking for?”

Link waited long enough for her to utter a surprised thank you, and then took off across the grass towards Zikan’s house. He knocked on the door but wasn’t surprised when no answer came. Glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone was watching, Link tried the handle. The door opened with ease and he slipped inside, shutting it again behind him.

Like many houses in Hyrule, inside was basic. Two single beds sat in one corner. To the opposite side, a wooden table was pushed up against the wall beside a stove. A large, faded rug covered most of the floor and Link narrowed his eyes as he spotted a stain on it so dark it was almost black. Even before approaching, Link could tell it was blood. He knelt, gently running his fingers over the long-dried stain. He shivered at the coarse feel of it and abruptly stood again. He couldn’t bring himself to look at the stain any longer. Arm across his chest, clutching the sleeve of his top, Link stood stiffly. His blue eyes scanned the house without really seeing anything as he tried to blink away the dark red that was suddenly invading his vision. He was here for Zikan’s sake but suddenly he was fighting away his own demons.

Link released his vulnerable pose as he frantically shook his head. No, now was not about him. He forced his eyes to _see_ the things he was looking at. He had to get back on track. He didn’t have long to accomplish this mission.

Other than the rug, the house was immaculate. A bookcase by the bed was neatly shelved with novels and trinkets, there were no dirty dishes left out and the beds were tidily made. Link walked over to them, spying a few pieces of paper pinned to the wall behind the bed on the left. There were drawings on the paper, and they were good. Link wondered which of the siblings was the artist before realising with a pang that it probably didn’t matter. Either way, there was unlikely to be any new art created.

Suddenly, Link felt uncomfortable being inside the house. That discomfort crawled across his skin, making him feel fidgety and a little sick. He’d been hoping to find some clues but now it just felt too personal. This had been their home, well-loved and taken care of by the looks of things. They had grown up here, had lived and laughed and smiled. And then the sister – Link felt terrible that he didn’t know her name, hadn’t even thought to ask it – had died here.

There were no clues to Zikan’s whereabouts here. There were only clues as to why he’d felt the need to _run._

Link left the house, closing the door firmly behind him.

Link hadn’t realised he was sweating until the cold wind slapped his face, biting into his flesh. He moved to the side of Zikan’s house and leaned against the wall, shielding himself from the cruel winds as he tried to calm his breathing.

“Are you okay?” Link looked up at the sound of the voice. It was the little old lady he’d spotted earlier, the one who moved far too quickly for someone so old. “Did you know Zota?” the lady asked kindly when Link struggled to answer.

Zota? That must have been Zikan’s sister. Link shook his head but then, realising his actions would appear too strange, shrugged.

“I kind of knew her brother,” he lied.

“Ah, I see.” The old lady smiled sadly. “Poor kid. I do hope he’s okay.”

Nodding his agreement, Link asked, “Did you know them well?”

“I used to look after them when they were children,” the old woman said. She hesitated then, scrutinising Link before seemingly making up her mind about something. “I think I would like to go home now. Would you care to join me? I make an excellent cup of tea.”

Link couldn’t afford to waste too much time before venturing up the mountain after Zikan. That said, he also didn’t really want to chase after the boy without knowing a little more about him first. Link didn’t know what to expect when he found Zikan but he imagined the boy would be angry and hurt. Understanding a little more about him could ultimately prove the difference between succeeding or failing.

“Okay,” Link agreed and allowed the old woman to shepherd him into her own home across the path.

The old lady – Imish, she told Link as she bustled about making tea and refusing all and any help – was right. She _did_ make an excellent cup of tea. Link relished it, wondering when the last time he’d drunk anything other than water was. He tended to travel light these days, foresting for supplies along the road.

“Zota was four years older than Zikan,” Imish said after she finally sat down. “So I think that made her feel responsible for him. Even before their parents died, she mothered the boy. Then, when she was twelve, die they did, leaving the poor dears orphans. Several of us from the village offered to take them in but Zota would have none of it. She was a very stubborn child.” Imish laughed fondly but her face quickly fell again, the twinkle leaving her eyes. “It makes what happened all the more surprising.”

“What happened?” Link asked.

Imish sniffed and didn’t answer straight away. She savoured her tea for a long moment, avoiding eye contact as Link waited patiently. Finally, when Link wasn’t sure she was going to answer, Imish said, “She did it to herself. Poor Zikan was the one to find her, over a day later. I think that is part of what made him so angry; he blamed himself. He thought if he’d found her sooner, he might have been able to save her.”

Link didn’t know what to say. What _could_ he say? He let his gaze drop to his tea, no longer steaming. He hadn’t known these people, but his heart broke for them both. He understood feeling hopeless, he understood wanting out. It scared him how much he related to the two siblings and their tragic story.

“I hope you find him, young hero.” Link looked up at that and Imish gave him a sheepish smile. “It is you, isn’t it? I’ve always had a knack for faces and even though you’re a man now, yours is one I could never forget. I’ve lived in Kakariko village my entire life. I remember you passing through, bothering my daughters cuccos and flying all over the place with them.”

Link couldn’t help but snort. He might have been the chosen hero of Hyrule, but he had also been a child. He remembered clearly taking time to enjoy himself along the way and making himself enemy number one amongst all cuccos. Imish joined his laughter but when it dropped, their seriousness returned.

“I heard you continued your heroic deeds even after saving Hyrule,” Imish said. “I hope that your return here means Zikan story might not end as tragically as his sisters.”

“I will do my best to help him,” Link promised. “But please, Imish, promise me you won’t tell people who I am?”

At Link’s expression, Imish’s intense gaze softened and she smiled gently. “I see you’ve been through many trails yourself, young hero. I will keep your secret, I promise.”


	3. Chapter 3

Link hesitated at the base of Death Mountain trail. His fingers were trembling again, and he curled them into fists in hopes of steadying them. He had done so many heroic deeds over the years and yet here he stood, afraid to venture up a mountain he’d scaled before to search for a single Hylian man.

Despite his nails piercing into his flesh, he couldn’t stop the fear. It was the fear of letting down princess Zelda, or Imish, or Zikan, or himself. The fear of failure.

Link was meant to possess the Triforce for courage but right now he wasn’t feeling very courageous.

He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. He took his time exhaling and, when his eyes flashed open again, they were full of determination. He was going to climb the mountain. If he didn’t find Zikan along the way, he would speak to the Goron’s and see whether they had seen him.

Link had forgotten just how long a trek it was up the mountain towards Goron city. The heat was just another thing he had also forgotten. The higher he climbed, the more he longed for his heat resistant tunic. It was long since lost, though. Once his quest was done in Hyrule he hadn’t kept much of the gear he’d accumulated. It weighed him down too much while travelling. Beside’s, while his body may have been seventeen by that point, he’d been asleep though it all and his mind was still closer to that of a ten-year-old. He might have been mature for his age, but he’d still been a child and children didn’t really think about the value of items in years to come.

In that sense, Link had done a lot of growing up over the past six years.

He tried to think about something else as he continued his hike, but it wasn’t easy when he was surrounded by important locations from that period of his life. That thought was only enforced as he reached Dodongo’s Cavern.

There were no Gorons outside, only a stack of twigs, and Link hesitated for a long moment. He still remembered quite vividly the first time he’d entered to save the Gorons and collect the spiritual stone. He wondered whether Zikan could have gone inside, but why would he? Link didn’t know him, didn’t even know why he had ventured up the mountain, but he was sure it wasn’t to go sightseeing. The young soldier probably had a goal in mind and that goal probably involved venturing further up the mountain.

Link continued onwards, deciding he would only check the cavern as the last resort on his way back down should he not find the boy he sought beforehand. He was sweating by the time he reached the entrance to Goron City, having made the walk faster than he necessarily normally would have. He didn’t have time for dawdling. Link just wanted to get this over and done with. He was ready to stop being a hero and just get on with his life. Maybe that made him selfish. If it did, Link wasn’t sure he cared anymore. He’d done his part. Even after saving Hyrule, Link had continued to perform heroic deeds, first saving Termina and then countless other places on his travels. He’d almost died for the people, he deserved to live now for himself.

As he’d found during his previous visits, none of the Goron’s paid him any attention as he entered their city. While they didn’t receive many Hylian visits, they obviously didn’t care that strangers –

“Goro? Are you here for the other one?” Startled, Link turned to face the Goron who had uncurled behind him. “The Hylian who picked a fight on our mountain,” the Goron explained, sensing Link’s uncertainty. “He caused a lot of problems, goro, so we had to lock him up.”

Link was pretty sure there was only one person that it could be. That had certainly made his quest a lot easier. To be honest, he hadn’t been keen on the idea of having to search for Zikan. It was a big mountain and Link was working on a time limit.

Link nodded. “I’m here for him. Could you take me to him?” He hoped the soldier hadn’t caused too much trouble for the Goron’s. If they refused to hand him over, things would get more complicated than Link really wanted to deal with right now. He wanted to do this favour for Zelda, and he felt sorry for the guy, but Link was done fighting other people’s battles. These days he was just… tired.

“Sure thing, brother. We were hoping one of your lot would come to collect him. He’s very angry, it’s bringing the whole city down.”

The Goron led Link through winding stone passageways painted with illustrations of dancing Goron’s. They reached the lower levels of the city and stopped by a door near what had formerly been Darunia’s room. Link couldn’t help but wonder who had taken the former leaders place and whether they would recognise him if Link were to ask for a meeting. That curiosity was overshadowed by a desperate want to finish what he’d started and find a home to settle down in, however. 

It wasn’t that Link hated being a hero. He actually loved it, and not just for the fame and glory (that was his least favourite part) but the knowledge that he’d protected innocent people who might have been in danger otherwise. Despite that, he just… couldn’t. Not anymore. It was too much and Link needed a clean slate. He’d thought that maybe it was just a blip and this minor mission would get him back into the swing of things but, no. As Link followed the Goron he decided that once they were back down the mountain, he was calling it quits. He’d find a home, maybe near lake Hylia and leave the life of adventure behind.

He had to survive this mission first. Judging from the sour look the boy behind bars gave him, it wasn’t going to be easy.

“Looks like you’re free to go, Goro,” the Goron said, picking up a key from across the room to unlock the cell door.

“Who’re you?” Zikan demanded, glaring at Link and not moving from the far wall he was slumped against.

It was hard to judge Zikan’s height from how he sat, but Link thought he might be taller than himself. He had a handsome but babyish face, with murky green eyes and dark hair. He also had a scowl that could rival any villain Link had ever faced.

Link didn’t answer quickly enough so Zikan tried again, demanding, “Why’re you here?”

“Princess Zelda sent me,” Link said.

“So she can lock me up again? I’d rather stay here,” the boy said, his tone all but acidic.

“You’re in a cage here,” Link pointed out. When Zikan didn’t reply, Link sighed. This was going to be hard work. “She doesn’t want to lock you up. She just wants to make sure you get home safely.” Zikan scoffed as if he was certain that wasn’t true.

Sensing this might take a while, Link turned to the Goron, still lurking in the room with them. “Thank you for your help, and for looking after him,” he said.

“He is very angry,” the Goron said, eyeing Zikan sceptically. “Good luck with him, brother.” With that, the Goron left them to it.

Instead of trying to force him out of his cell, Link entered it silently, sitting against the wall across from the boy. Man, Link mentally corrected. Zikan was older than Link had been when he’d saved all of Hyrule and there was barely four years difference in their ages. In retrospect, Link knew that he had been a child when he fought for Hyrule, but he’d hated it at the time when people had called him out as such.

Zikan eyed Link wearily like he was expecting a lecture, but Link said nothing. He often found that silence worked better than words ever could and, in a situation like this, he didn’t really have the words anyway. Zikan was mourning. He’d lost his sister, his only living relative. Link had been an orphan from birth and, as such, could never truly understand how the soldier felt.

Eventually, apparently frustrated with Link’s silence, Zikan once again demanded, “Who are you? I don’t recognise you as a castle guard.”

Link nodded but the piercing look Zikan gave him suggested it wasn’t enough. Clearing his throat a little awkwardly, Link said, “That’s because I’m not.”

“Then why did the princess send you? Am I so worthless that any random passerby was good enough for the job?”

“You’re not worthless, Zikan,” Link said softly. “I’m sure plenty of your fellow soldiers would have happily come after you, but Zelda felt as if that might not be what you needed right now.”

Zikan narrowed his eyes again, his face flushing with anger. “Who are you that you can so casually speak about the princess of Hyrule?”

Oh boy. Zikan was clearly itching for a fight. Link rubbed his temple, letting his fingers glide back into his hairline.

“Uh, a friend, I guess,” Link said. He didn’t like to lie but he’d really rather not give his name if he could get away with it. If Zikan would just leave this cage and follow him down the mountain, perhaps Link would never have to admit who he really was.

“A friend,” the soldier repeated blandly. He stared at Link for a moment longer before twisting his head away in a stiff jolt. His arms folded across his chest in a stubborn gesture and Link sighed again. He’d had to deal with all sorts during the years, but he had a feeling escorting Zikan down the mountain was going to prove one of his hardest missions yet. He tried to remind himself that Zikan was grieving. He was lost and hurt and angry and taking it out on the world but that didn’t mean he was always this annoying and stubborn.

Even if he was, Link had no right to judge. He held the Triforce of courage but instead was choosing to be a coward and hide away for the rest of his life.

For a long minute, the two young men just stared at one another in silence. Zikan seemed to be staring Link down, his gaze intense, waiting for him to break. Zikan really didn’t know who he was up against. If Link wasn’t working on a time limit, he would have happily continued their staring match, saying nothing for as long as it took. It would be almost preferable than having to find the right words. Unfortunately, Link _was_ working on a time limit.

“Look,” Link said slowly, after having churned the words around in his head first. “If you really want me to leave I will, but I’d prefer to accompany you back down the mountain before we part ways. What you do after that is your own business.”

Zikan took a long moment before he turned to face Link but, when he did, he eyed him sceptically. “If you’re just going to leave me to do something else stupid once we’re back in town then what’s the point?”

He made a good point, but it was a good few hours back down to Kakariko village and perhaps Link would be able to talk some sense into him during that time. “I just promised the princess that I would make sure you got home,” Link said. “I’m hardly going to stand watch over you day and night.”

“Fine,” Zikan said, sighing a little dramatically. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”


	4. Chapter 4

They didn’t talk as they left Goron city and started their descent back down Death Mountain which suited Link just fine. He wasn’t here to make friends; he had a job to do. The sooner he could get Zikan home and then find his own place to call home, the better. He tried not to think about how once they were back in Kakariko village he would just be leaving the grieving soldier alone again. Link had done more than his fair share of being the hero, the ‘good guy’. He was doing this one favour for Zelda as she was his soon to be queen and, considering the time they spent together while she was Sheik, his friend. Once this favour was done, however, it was time for him to be selfish. It wasn’t too much to ask for, was it? To want peace after saving the world?

It fell dark before they were even halfway down the mountain.

“It’s not safe to continue,” Link said. Death Mountain could be a risky hike even during daylight. There were often large rocks rolling down the path as the temperamental volcano shook them free from higher ground. Occasionally, even a careless Goron out for a roll could knock one down and potentially send them hurtling from the mountain and to their death.

Before Zikan could argue, Link scanned their surrounding area, spotting a small cave entrance in the mountain wall. He walked over to it, examining it in the dull evening glow. The younger man followed sceptically.

“You want us to stay in that?”

It wasn’t very big, that much was true. It was sheltered and would protect them from anything falling down the mountain during the night, however. It would also give them an advantage from any monsters. Link was surprised he hadn’t encountered any tektites yet. During his previous visits, the mountain trail had been crawling with them.

“Would you rather have a boulder fall on your head?” Link asked, folding his arms across his chest and arching an eyebrow. They had been lucky so far but in their last fifteen minutes of walking, Link had felt the mountain rumbling. Death Mountain Summit was revving up to provide a violent night.

“Oh, come off it,” Zikan, who had clearly never scaled the mountain before, huffed. “Like that would –” His protest was cut short as the crunching and grinding of a rolling boulder came into earshot. It moved quickly. Link had barely managed to push the younger man against the mountainside before it spun past them. Link couldn’t have timed it better if he’d planned it.

“Want to risk getting hit by one of them in the dark?” Link asked, stepping away from the young soldier.

A little stunned, Zikan took a long moment before he shook his head. “You win,” he grumbled defiantly, his cheeks a little pink. Without a second glance at Link, he ducked down into the cave. Link followed him. It only went a few meters back and was crawling with spiders, but at least they were small ones with no sign of any Skulltulas.

There were a few twigs scattered about the floor which reminded Link of the kindling he’d seen outside Dodongo’s Cavern. It wasn’t far; if they had kept walking, they would have probably reached the cavern within ten minutes. Now that they were further from the summit, even while protected by the walls of the cave, the air was bitterly cold. It would only get worse. Zikan had already huddled down at the very back of the cave but, while he tried to hide it, Link could see he was shivering.

“I’ll be back soon,” the hero said and, before Zikan could even open his mouth, Link shot from the cave.

The light outside was already dipping to an unsafe low. With the path as thin as it was, Link was going to have to move as carefully as he did quickly to avoid plummeting to his death. Fortunately, the past thirteen years hadn’t been for nothing and Link made the journey with ease, collecting the kindling and returning to Zikan in less than twenty minutes. Until he was halfway back, Link hadn’t even considered the fact that Zikan might run while he was gone. When the thought hit him, it made him pick up his pace, but he needn’t have worried. The young soldier was still huddled at the back of the cave when Link returned.

“You’re back,” he stated.

Link didn’t answer as he dropped the kindling to his feet. He worked in silence building the fire, aware of Zikan’s watchful eyes on him. Once it was roaring, Link sat back, warming his hands by the flames. With little more than a bundle of twigs to keep it going, the fire wasn’t going to last long. For the next hour, Link stayed by its heat, working on keeping it alight for as long as possible. It would quickly grow cold in their little cave once the embers died out.

Zikan stayed towards the back of the cave, always silent, always watching.

Eventually, when he couldn’t bear to watch the young soldier shiver any longer, Link forced himself to speak. “You can move closer. I don’t bite.”

For a moment it looked like the Zikan was going to remain stubborn. Ultimately the idea of even a little warmth won over and he shuffled closer. “Why’s it so cold?” he grumbled. “We’re on a volcano. Goron City was uncomfortably warm.”

Link shrugged and silence fell again for a little while as the pair warmed their hands by the flames. Zikan broke the silence, eyeing Link sceptically once more.

“You still haven’t told me. What’s your name?”

Link hesitated briefly before giving his younger companion a sheepish smile. “Link,” he admitted. Zikan squinted at him, the name not lost. He seemed to take a moment to take in Link’s blond hair and the obvious definition of muscle beneath his shirt as if confirming the truth in Links’ words.

Link braced himself but all Zikan said was, “Well, don’t think just because you’re the hero of time that I’m going to like you.”

It was such an unexpected relief that Link couldn’t help but laugh. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Link took first watch, still paranoid that things were too quiet. After defeating Ganondorf, Link had left Hyrule, so he didn’t know what things were like these days. In his experience, though, Hyrule had never been short of monsters. Even in his childhood before Ganondorf had properly taken over, monsters frequented less populated areas of the country. Maybe they had been drawn to Ganondorf and now that he was gone, they had crawled back to safer spots where they wouldn’t be hunted. 

“Switch,” Zikan grunted, hours later. He still looked groggy from sleep, but the alertness was slowly coming back to him. Somehow Link had managed to keep the fire burning, but it was finally on its way out. He felt bad as he left its embers to crawl into the slightly warmer back of the cave, but he wasn’t going to argue. He felt heavy, the desperate need for sleep weighing him down.

“You’ll still be here in the morning?” he managed to ask around the sleep already claiming him.

“Sure,” Zikan replied nonchalantly. It wasn’t as convincing as Link would have liked but he was too tired to care. He didn’t fight it as, moments later, the heaviness overwhelmed him, and sleep claimed him. Once caught in the dark realm of his dreams, however, Link wished he’d fought it off a little harder…

“You were having nightmares,” Zikan said quietly when Link roused as dawn broke. “I didn’t know heroes had nightmares.”

“Heroes have the worst ones,” Link muttered, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Their fire had long since burned out, but the rising sun lit the cave well enough Link to see that, despite his few hours of sleep, Zikan looked just as tired as Link felt. The hero hadn’t slept well at all, nightmares plaguing him the entire time his eyes were closed. He wondered whether Zikan had suffered through his own.

To be honest, Link was surprised that Zikan was still there at all. He’d half expected to wake up to the younger man long gone, having risked the rest of the climb in the dark just to escape Link.

“We should set off,” Link said as he climbed to his feet and stretched. “We’re only a couple of hours away from Kakariko village. We can probably make it before mid-morning.”

Zikan didn’t respond but stepped outside the cave and over to the ledge, where he seemed to be taking in the view as he waited for Link to join him.

“What were you even doing up here?” Link couldn’t help but ask, as he stepped next to the young soldier to join him in sightseeing. It really was a spectacular view. From where they stood, they could see all of Kakariko village. From this distance it looked almost like a model village, too small to be real.

Zikan remained silent for long enough that Link suspected he was going to ignore him again. Eventually, however, the soldier replied. “I heard rumours that a certain gang ventured up here. I came to confront them for something they did.”

Link remembered what the Goron had said, about how they had discovered Zikan fighting with some other Hylians. “You found them?”

“A few of them. Not the one I wanted.” Zikan sounded angry about that. Link didn’t fail to notice his clenched fists, held so tightly his knuckles were white.

Link hesitated, uncertain whether he should ask. Finally, he said, “Does this have anything to do with your sister?”

It was apparently the wrong thing to ask. Zikan gave him a hard stare before averting his gaze forward and pursing his lips.

When he finally broke his silence, it was only to say, “Let’s go.” Link didn’t argue. He just followed the young soldier as they continued their descent down the mountain.

The walk felt extra long in the silence. Link was fine with the quiet, but he felt like he should be saying something. Zikan was clearly in pain but Link didn’t have the words to help him. Not that any words _could_ help, but it still made him feel useless that he wasn’t even trying. Then again, Zikan had made it quite clear that he didn’t want to friends. He was probably only tolerating Link’s presence at all because it wasn’t worth the fight. While he might not know Link, he knew _of_ him, which meant he knew that Link followed Zelda’s orders no matter how trying they might be. Whether that was a strength or flaw, Link wasn’t really sure.

When they finally arrived back at Kakariko village it was past midday and they were both feeling weary. They had done a lot of hiking on not much sleep and they were hungry and irritable them both. It didn’t help that the villagers out and about stopped to stare as they passed, looks of trepidation or pity in their eyes. Zikan kept his gaze averted until he reached his front door.

“Right,” Link said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “So, I got you back home as promised.”

“I’m not staying,” Zikan said quickly.

“And that’s your right. You’re not a prisoner, Zikan. Though be careful, because if you keep picking fights –”

“I _will_ keep picking fights until my sister is averaged!” the young soldier burst out, cutting over Link. Just as quickly as the fire in his eyes appeared, it vanished again and he averted his eyes, clearing his throat and sinking in on himself. Link realised his yell had drawn attention over to them and attention was clearly something Zikan wanted to avoid.

“Okay, well…” Link didn’t know what to say. There was a part of him, the part that was still a hero and wanted to save everyone, that didn’t want to leave Zikan alone. If he was going to go off and do something stupid the moment he was alone, then it made sense not to leave him. However, Link wasn’t a prison guard and Zikan wasn’t a prisoner. He had every right to do as he pleased and while Link might be a hero, he wasn’t a law enforcer. He had no business telling Zikan not to pick fights.

“I’m going to Gerudo Valley tomorrow,” Zikan said, keeping his voice low. He momentarily raised his gaze and Link was struck by the bright green swirls in his otherwise swampy eyes. “Come with me.”

Well… that was unexpected.

“Uh…” Link’s fingers still lingered at the back of his neck. He scratched it, for lack of an answer.

“I’m not naïve enough to pass up this opportunity,” Zikan confessed. “You know what you’re doing. I don’t. Help me avenge my sister.” He didn’t say please, but he looked like he might. He was looking at Link so earnestly; a boy asking a hero to help him find peace.

Link hesitated.

Then Link felt the all too new and familiar sensation of his fingers trembling. He curled them into a fist, fighting off visions of red.

“I can’t,” he said, trying to pretend he didn’t notice the look of betrayal across Zikan’s face. “And you shouldn’t either. You’ll end up getting yourself killed. Besides, you know the Gerudo won’t allow men into their desert.”

“Well, that’s where the men I’m tracking were heading so that’s where I’m going.”

“Zikan –”

“No!” the younger man hissed, his tone turning icy. “You’re meant to be this great hero, fighting for the people. Well, where were you when my sister was killed, huh? And now that you have a chance to help, you’re just going to walk away? Fuck you, Link. Seriously, fuck you.”

The door slammed in Link’s face.


	5. Chapter 5

As Link made his way over the drawbridge and into castle town market, he couldn’t stop the feeling of unease that gnawed away at him like locusts on his skin. Zikan had asked for his help and, like a coward, Link had refused. The soldier would still go anyway but without Link there was no telling what would happen. Could Link really live with himself if the young soldier turned up dead, or was never seen again? Even if he _could,_ Link wasn’t sure he’d want to. He was the chosen hero, blessed with the Triforce of courage to help people. Cowardice wasn’t becoming of him.

It was just… so hard. He’d been through so much and he just wanted to catch a break. He’d done a lot for Hyrule and its surrounding providences already, didn’t he deserve some peace? Was he really going to end up with no choice but to die for the people? Was that really _fair_?

It wasn’t cowardice, it was pragmatics. Years of heroic deeds at an incredibly young age had caught up to him and he just wasn’t firing at full capacity anymore. He’d be more of a hindrance to Zikan than an asset.

Besides… Link couldn’t save everybody… _could he?_

The young hero groaned, halting in his tracks so suddenly he almost collided with an elderly man.

“Watch where you’re going, son!” the man barked as he sidestepped around Link before the hero could even utter an apology.

Behind the cluster of shops and houses, Link could just see the castle from where he stood. He knew Zelda was inside waiting for him, hoping that he would be the bearer of good news. He wasn’t sure how she would react to hearing that Link had found Zikan only to abandon him in another dangerous situation.

It didn’t really matter what the princess thought of him, however, because it would never be worse than how he felt about himself.

Link looked around the town. A committee of party planners was hanging decorations in preparation for the coronation, excitedly chatting amongst themselves in anticipation of the changes about to come to their kingdom. They were safe and they were happy.

Not everybody had that luxury.

Link glanced at the castle once more. He _could_ report back to Zelda, stay for her coronation and then find somewhere to settle down for a quiet life free from fighting and torture and death and everything else that came with being dubbed a hero.

He could. There was nothing stopping him. He could put himself first for once.

Link already struggled to sleep at night, though. Nightmares plagued his dreams. He was sure they would only worsen if he left Zikan to go after this gang by himself. Besides, could he really outrun his nightmares anyway? The best thing to do with fear was to face it head-on.

“Okay,” Link said an hour later when Zikan answered his door. “I’m in. We leave in the morning.”

So long for three days.

They were ready to go at first light the next morning. In the safety of Zikan’s house, they slept better than the night before, though nightmares still haunted their dreams. There was an argument about who would sleep in the bed – Zota’s empty one being ignored completely as if it didn’t exist – but after repeatedly insisting Link could have it, only to be refused each time, Zikan finally huffed and climbed into the bedding. There was a chair by the window with a blanket thrown over it and Link settled there. He liked to be able to see outside, anyway. He’d be more likely to notice in case anyone was to burst in during the night. It was, of course, unlikely but this was Link and trouble seemed to find him whether he went looking for it or not.

After a breakfast of stale bread, they left the village. Link thought he saw the curtains of Imish’s window flicker, as though she didn’t want to be caught watching them leave.

It took just over an hour to reach Lon Lon Ranch but, as Link pointed out to a thoroughly underprepared Zikan, an hour was nothing compared to how long it would take to get to Gerudo desert.

“You weren’t really planning to _walk_ there were you?” Link’s teasing was greeted by a disgruntled glare that confirmed that, _yes_ , Zikan had been planning to walk to the desert. It was almost two days by horseback, and that was if they didn’t stop much along the way. Zikan would have been on the road for well over a week if Link hadn’t decided to join him. By the time he reached the desert, he wouldn’t have had anything left in him to pick a fight.

Malon, who had friends in Kakariko village seemed to know just who Zikan was when she cheerfully greeted the pair. Sharp as ever, Link didn’t miss the brief second her eyes softened as she spotted him. For her credit, she didn’t mention his sister at all, not even to offer condolences. Zikan seemed to appreciate that.

“I didn’t think you’d be leaving again so soon,” Malon said to Link.

“We’re just heading to the desert. Shouldn’t be gone more than a few days.”

“So, you’ll miss the coronation?” Link nodded his head guiltily, glancing over at Zikan who wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Between you and me, I heard rumours that the queen was planning to knight you as one of her first royal acts.” Link’s stomach tumbled uneasily at that news, his skin prickling at the thought. He didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but there was no way he could accept and honour a position as an official Knight of Hyrule.

“Hey, we really should get going,” Zikan said bluntly before Link could formulate some kind of answer. Whether or not it was intentional, Link sent the soldier a grateful smile.

“Oh – of course! Sorry. Epona is in the field. Would you like your own horse, Zikan? I know just the one!” Before they could answer, Malon was rushing to the field behind her house, her red hair bouncing as she ran.

“You two close?” Zikan asked as the two men followed at a more leisurely pace.

Link shrugged. When Zikan’s gaze didn’t falter, suggesting he wanted more of an answer, Link sighed. “I’ve known her since I was a child. She’s the reason I own Epona. But up until I arrived back in Hyrule a couple of days ago, I hadn’t seen her in six years. We did exchange the occasional letter while I was travelling, but I’m not sure that counts as being close.” That said, asides from Epona, Malon was the closest thing Link had to a friend. A hero constantly on the move didn’t have a lot of time to strike up friendships. And the friends he did have always seemed to leave Link behind –

_Navi. Tatl. Saria._

The field came into view in time for them to watch Malon leading Epona and a graceful-looking white mare towards the stables. 

“So, that’s Epona? You really _are_ Link, aren’t you?” There had always been something quite majestic about Link’s brown mare, like she existed solely to be the horse of a hero.

“You thought I was lying?”

“No offence but you don’t seem very heroic.”

Link didn’t take offence. These days, it was true. Besides, he almost left Zikan to do this journey alone – by foot no less! – so the younger of the pair had every right to be a little sour.

When Link didn’t answer, Zikan shrugged and made his way over to Malon to help her saddle up his horse.

“Her name’s Sage,” Malon was saying as Link approached.

 _Sage_. Link wondered whether Malon had named her after Link had left Hyrule. Before he’d gone, he’d spoken a little to Malon of the friends he’d lost. The friends that had left him to fulfil their destinies. It reminded Link of something he’d said at the time, something that had eaten away at him ever since, making him feel guilty for even thinking it.

_“If Zelda is the seventh sage, why does she get to stay while the others are gone?”_

Link shook the thought away. Now was not the time.

When he was close enough, Epona snorted and nudged Link’s hand with her nose, letting out a puff of wet, warm air. “Easy girl,” the hero laughed. “I missed you too.” He patted her neck, chuckling as she nuzzled against his neck. Epona really had been the only consistent friend he’d had for years. After Navi left him, Link had replied on his horse for more than just travel. She offered companionship, loyalty and, beyond that, had straight-up saved his life. She was, without a doubt, his best friend and Link didn’t care if anyone else considered that weird.

As he saddled her up, he spoke to her gently, telling her nothing of merit but enjoying the comfort of being able to speak freely. Link didn’t realise he had an audience until he finished up with her and the horse whinnied impatiently.

“Okay, girl! Almost ready,” he said, glancing over at Malon and Zikan to see them done with Sage and watching him. Malon was smiling fondly, clearly thrilled to see Link and Epona’s close bond in person. Zikan had an unreadable expression on his face and dropped eye contact as soon as Link glanced over. Link felt his heart sink a little as he noticed the younger man almost looked angry, his cheeks flushed red and his face set hard.

“Epona looks so happy to be back with you,” Malon gushed. “I’m so happy you’re friends!”

“All thanks to you,” Link told the ranch girl. Malon beamed larger. Then, quite suddenly, her eyes widened as if something occurred to her that she hadn’t thought of before. 

“Hey, give me five minutes! Don’t go anywhere, promise?” She rushed off before Link could answer, as Link had quickly come to expect of the woman. She was excitable and did nothing half-heartedly.

Zikan huffed in impatience.

“Oh, come on,” Link said. “It’s the least we can do. Epona might be mine but she’s letting you borrow Sage from the kindness of her heart.” Zikan didn’t complain again. When the young soldier didn’t continue speaking, Link returned his attention back to Epona, fussing over the impatient mare who seemed more eager than Link to be setting off for adventure. He was aware of Zikan watching him, probably once again sceptical of Link’s abilities as a so-called hero but chose not to look up. 

When Malon returned she was carrying a leather rucksack. “There’s food and milk, and a couple of fairies,” she said as she handed it over to Link. “I hope it'll be useful.”

“Very. Thank you, Malon. You’re a star.”

Malon’s smile was radiant but brief, worry and doubt overshadowing any positive feelings. “Just be careful, both of you!”

After that, they were on their way, riding atop their respective horses as they trotted out of the ranch, its young owner waving them off as they left.

“She likes you,” Zikan said to Link, who was so surprised by the statement that he almost fell from Epona.

“Malon?” he spluttered. “No, she doesn’t!”

“Right,” Zikan snorted. “She just packs travel bags for all young men who pass through the ranch.”

“She’s just a friend,” Link argued, although Zikan had stirred a sense of doubt within in. Malon _was_ awfully kind to someone she had only vaguely known years ago.

“She’s cute. Don’t tell me you’re not interested. Wait, you’re not setting your sights higher, are you? Think you stand a shot with royalty?” Zikan arched an eyebrow as he glanced at Link.

“I think I liked you better when you didn’t talk,” Link told him, to which the younger man laughed shortly.

“For what it’s worth if that’s why your back, I don’t think the princess would shoot you down just because you’re not a prince.”

Link wasn’t lying when he said he’d preferred it when Zikan didn’t talk; if his own love life was the other option, he’d rather make the journey in silence.

“Not that it’s anyone’s business,” Link said, keeping his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “But I didn’t return to Hyrule to look for love. As lovely as both Malon and the princess are, I’m not interested and I doubt they are, either.” With that, Link encouraged Epona into a gallop, effectively ending the conversation.

After that they rode in silence for a couple of hours, the cold wind biting into them making Link wish he had his trademark green hat, for at least that had provided a little extra warmth. They were starting to reach rockier terrains when Link finally slowed pace and suggested they give the horses a break.

“How much further?” Zikan asked as he slid off Sage’s saddle.

“Until Gerudo Valley? Day and a half maybe?” As Zikan’s face fell, Link added, “It might be less. It’s been a few years since I’ve made the journey.” He was honestly surprised that the young soldier seemed to have no concept of just how big Hyrule was, but then, Link recalled conversations from his childhood where he’d learned many of the occupants of Castle Town or Kakariko village had only ever travelled between the two locations. Zikan was a palace guard and a young one at that. It was very likely he’d never had to travel even as far as Lon Lon Ranch before.

They only stopped for half an hour before they were back on the road. Once more they travelled in near silence, seeing surprisingly little in terms of monsters along the road. At least, until it started to grow dark.

As daylight started to fail them, they stumbled across a Bokoblin camp that instantly sprang to attack them. Even as Zikan dismounted Sage, Link had his sword in hand. He took them all out without having to even dismount Epona but when he was done, and Zikan caught a glimpse of his face, the younger of the two men saw how tightly the hero’s face was drawn, teeth clenched together.

“Uh, should we stop for the night?” Zikan asked, glancing at the still blazing fire. While he wanted to press on, he knew Link would never allow it. It made more sense to stop where a camp was already prepped than to travel further into the night and maybe not find shelter at all.

Link answered by sitting down in front of the fire and holding his hands out to warm them. Zikan hesitated before joining him. “Will we be safe?” his fingers twitched by his sword.

Link shrugged. “We might see a Poe or two,” he said. “If we’re really unlucky the Stalchildren might come out.”

“Stalchildren are real?” Zikan gawped. He’d always thought the skeletal figured that burrowed from under the ground were the stuff of legends, often told to frighten naughty children. _‘If you don’t go to bed, the Stalchildren will come up through the floor to eat you,’_ he remembered his mother teasing.

“Of course, they’re real,” Link seemed surprised by the question. “So, you really haven’t travelled outside safe zones of Hyrule before?”

“Just the journey between Castle town and my village,” Zikan answered, almost sounding embarrassed by his admission. “I was stationed as a guard at the castle, but I was hoping to be sent on bigger missions before…” he trailed off. Link’s gaze softened as he realised what Zikan was referring too. 

“Zikan –” Link started to say but the younger man dropped his gaze to the fire.

“I’m tired,” he said, though it was only just dark, and they hadn’t eaten yet. “Wake me up when it is my turn to take watch.” With that, he settled himself down by the fire, his back to Link. The hero watched for him a while, knowing that Zikan wasn’t sleeping but not wanting to irritate the soldier further. Perhaps Zikan would open up during their journey or perhaps he wouldn’t. As long as Link saw him back to Kakariko village safely he supposed the rest was none of his business.

Fortunately, the night was quiet. Link spotted a Poe once or twice floating about in the distance, but it never bothered them. Any some point he became aware that Zikan was genuinely asleep and couldn’t bring himself to wake the soldier. By the time they switched watch for the night, it was well past what would have been a fair tradeoff.

As was usual these days, Link tossed and turned as he slept, switching between restlessness and dreams stained with blood. Sleeping had become a necessity Link wished he didn’t need these days. Sometimes he longed for his carefree childhood in the forest where he slept more than necessary and was deemed lazy by many of the Kokiri children.

He’d wondered on more than one occasion what his life would be like if he hadn’t of been the chosen one. He always tried to shut out such train of thoughts when he realised that meant the Great Deku Tree would have never taken him in and he would never have had those precious years with Saria.

When Link fully woke, sometime after dawn had broken, it was to the sound of swords clashing.


	6. Chapter 6

Zikan hadn’t been paying a lot of attention. His mind had been lost in a cocktail of memories and thoughts of revenge. He kept seeing Zota’s face as he’d last seen her; blank and blinking slowly as if she were an empty shell. As if whatever made her _her_ had been stolen away along with everything else that those men had taken.

He’d crouched down before her that day, meeting her unfocused gaze and promising her he would get vengeance. He’d tried, of course, and had been locked in a cell by his fellow guards for his efforts. By the time they had released him, Zikan had been too late to save his sister.

He would never forgive the royal guard and he would never forgive the men who stole her from him. The thoughts ran turmoil in his brain.

Other than a Poe in the distance he hadn’t seen anything all night. He’d thought they were safe. Hence, he hadn’t bothered to be vigilant and had almost missed it as the Lizalfos sword came swinging down at him.

Still, Zikan wasn’t a guard for nought. He’d always had fast reflexes (that is if he wasn’t in the room with the legendary hero) and he had training on his side. He managed to parry the blow with his own sword before it could do any more than nick his cheek. He ignored the fine trickle of blood as he jumped to his feet, stance ready for another blow.

The Lizalfos wasn’t alone. Zikan twisted his body so that he could see them both, standing protectively in front of the still sleeping hero. He was sure Link would be angry if he didn’t wake him, but the hero had finally settled into some form of deep sleep around half an hour ago. Zikan could damn well deal with the two monsters by himself. He didn’t need help from anyone.

Lizalfos were monsters, with no sense of battle etiquette or morals and, as such, they attacked together. Zikan easily parried the first blow but wasn’t so lucky with the one that followed seconds later, catching him in the shoulder. On reflex he kicked out, foot slamming into the Lizalfos’ chest and pushing it away before its sword could cut too deeply. He still winced as the blade freed itself from his flesh, sending up a small spray of blood in its wake.

If he’d been wearing his armour that wouldn’t have happened. Zikan silently cursed himself, but kept his eyes sharply trained on his enemies, now slowly circling him as a deadly pair. When one jumped at him, Zikan ducked, twisting his body while simultaneously pulling a dagger from his belt. A dagger was far easier to wield in close combat than his sword and Zikan had no problem diving the gleaming weapon between the Lizalfos armour and into its back. It shrieked out, attempting to spring away but Zikan was already bringing his other arm up, plunging his sword through the monster's chest.

Amazingly, Link didn’t even stir.

“Just you and me now, buddy,” Zikan said to the other Lizalfos. Like most monsters, it didn’t seem to care that its companion had just been killed. For a moment the monster seemed to regard Zikan, tilting its head as though almost curious. Then, so quickly Zikan couldn’t anticipate the movement, it leapt clean over his head, using its tail to knock Zikan off balance before turning its attention to Link.

“Oh no you don’t,” Zikan grunted, moving faster than he thought possible. As the Lizalfos raised its sword to strike, the young guard propelled himself forward, catching the blow with his own blade with a dealing _clash_. Finally, Link’s eyes flashed open, his hand automatically reaching for his sword.

This was Zikan’s fight, though.

Pushing back on the Lizalfos sword with all his strength, he managed to make the monster stumble. Before it could get its footing, Zikan swung his sword, slicing its arm clean off. The creature screeched out but was silenced when Zikan quickly brought his sword back around, slicing off its head in one clean, fatal swoop. 

His body remained hunched over as he caught his breath. Only when Link let out a low whistle did he straighten and turn. They looked at each other for a minute, both their expressions unreadable. After a moment, Zikan gave a sheepish chuckle.

“Guess I’m not too good at keeping watch,” he admitted.

“We’re not dead, are we?” Link added a smile to show that he wasn’t angry. If anything, he was impressed. That vanished quickly as he noticed the blood, however. “You’re hurt!”

As Link reached for him, Zikan snatched his arm back, wincing as the gesture caused his shoulder to scream in protest.

“Look,” Link said sternly, “If you don’t let me look at it it could get infected and, trust me, you don’t want that.” This time when Link reached out, he moved slowly, as though it were a wounded animal he was reaching for and not a man. Zikan didn’t pull away but winced as gentle fingers pulled at his tunic, revealing his shoulder and the gash across it.

Zikan couldn’t see the extent of the damage, only the blood that dripped down his arm, but when he looked back at Link’s face, he was relieved to see that the hero had kept his face impassive. If Link had been grimacing as he examined the wound Zikan wasn’t sure he would have been able to remain calm.

“How is it?” he asked finally.

“Nothing a fairy won’t fix,” Link said, moving to the bag Malon had packed for them.

“No,” Zikan said sharply, stopping the hero in his tracks. Link looked up, his eyes wide in surprise and Zikan felt the need to rush into an explanation. “My wounds aren’t that bad. Fairies can be hard to come by – we might need them later.”

Link bit his lip sceptically. What Zikan said made sense, and if their injuries were reversed, Link would have insisted the same. Their injuries _weren’t_ reversed, however, and Link didn’t feel right about leaving the younger man to his inadequate healing hands.

He opened his mouth to speak but Zikan cut him off. “Don’t argue. I won’t change my mind.”

“Okay,” Link said. “Well, in that case, your shoulder will need a couple of stitches but it’s not so bad. You were lucky.” He leaned forward then, getting into Zikan’s face and it was all the younger man could do not to shove Link away.

“W-what?!” he yelped, but Link was already pulling away again, calm as you like as if he hadn’t just invaded someone’s personal space

“Your cheek looks like it’s already stopped bleeding. That’ll just need a clean.”

“O-Oh.” Zikan had forgotten about the cut on his cheek. Compared to his shoulder he couldn’t even feel it but, now that Link mentioned it, the drying blood was irritating. He rubbed at it, feeling the congealing liquid spread across his face as he did so. Link rolled his eyes before rooting through the bag Malon had given them. A moment later he pulled out a cloth, a small wooden box and some bandages.

“Thank the gods for Malon,” Link said quietly to himself as he flipped open the lid to the wooden box. Inside were some medical supplies that the ranch girl had been thoughtful enough to include despite supplying them with fairies. He lifted a needle and turned to give Zikan a serious expression. “You sure about this? It’ll probably scar. I’m not a very good sewer.”

“I’m sure,” Zikan said between gritted teeth. As Link got to work with cleaning his wounds, Zikan fixed his gaze on their burned down campfire. Just the thought of the needle threading his broken flesh was enough to make him feel queasy – he didn’t need to watch as well. 

It didn’t take Link very long, and it hurt less than Zikan had expected, the needle pricking his skin each time a brief but sharp sting. The soldier risked a glance down once Link was done, just managing to spy the messy wound before Link started to bandage it up.

“You look a bit green,” Link pointed out as he stepped back to admire his handiwork.

“‘M’fine.”

Link arched an eyebrow but didn’t try and fight him. Instead, he said, “I’ll cook some breakfast. Then we should head off.”

The thought of food caused his stomach to gently rumble. Zikan dropped his gaze, cheeks a little flushed and jolted his head in a stiff nod that sent a sharp pain through his shoulder. If Link noticed his wince, he pretended otherwise. Zikan was glad for it. He didn’t want anyone’s pity, least of all the hero of times.


	7. Chapter 7

After the eventful morning they’d had, being on the road again was nice. It was quiet, _peaceful_. At one point they passed a couple of travellers and Zikan noticed Link’s hand subtly move towards his weapon. They passed without incident, however, offering only friendly greetings as they passed on by. 

“Were you expecting them to attack?” Zikan asked, arching an eyebrow.

“You can never be too sure,” Link said. “I want to trust people are genuine, but experiences have made me cautious.”

“You don’t seem cautious of me.”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on you,” Link said simply. “But while you clearly don’t like me, you don’t seem keen to stab me in the back either, so I think we’re okay.”

The younger man’s gaze dropped as Link casually mentioned Zikan’s dislike for him, but he didn’t argue the case. He could have told the hero it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with himself but why bother? After they found his sisters attackers, they would go their separate way and probably never see each other again. Or, even worse, Link would become his superior in the royal guard – if Zikan even had a job to return too, that was. It was unlikely.

It was early afternoon when they finally made it to Gerudo Valley. The grass seamlessly shifted into rocky terrain as the continued towards the Gerudo Fortress and Zikan couldn’t help but stare in wonder. He’d never seen anything quite like it. He was used to Hyrule’s luscious fields but here everything was dry and stony. Even the few plants that sprouted in the dry mud lacked the usual green he was used too.

The temperature had increased, too, although Link warned him it would plummet quickly as night fell. The desert was unbearably cold at night, he warned. They were best to seek shelter by the river and head into the desert when they had a full day of light before them.

“They could be long gone by then,” Zikan protested, his words fierce as he considered once more missing out on his vengeance.

“They might be long gone by now,” Link pointed out.

“Then we shouldn’t wait any longer!” By now they were crossing the small wooden plank that acted as a bridge into the valley. Link halted Epona halfway across it, effectively stopping Zikan and his horse in their tracks.

“We need to be sensible about this,” he said, folding his arms across his chest. “If we get lost in the desert at night, you’re not going to be able to avenge your sister at all if you freeze to death.

Zikan hated that he was right. He glared at Link for a long moment before nodding curtly. Link watched him for a moment longer before sighing and urging Epona forward again.

On the other side of the plank, it only took a few minutes to reach Gerudo Bridge. Link still remembered all the trouble he’d gone to as a kid to help build the damn thing. While it had worked out for the best in the long run, it had still been a holdup he’d not needed and one that irritated him even to this day.

On the other side of the bridge, the carpenter's tent was long gone but another was built in a very similar spot. As Zikan joined him, the younger man’s shoulders tensed, and his foot stopped mid-step. A man had just emerged from the tent and unless Link was very much mistaken, it was the very man Zikan was so desperately hunting.

When Zikan slipped off Sage and his hand shot towards his sword, Link knew for sure he hadn’t been mistaken.

“Zikan –” Link warned, but the younger man didn’t wait to hear what he had to say. Taking off in a run, he alerted the man who had previously been unaware of their existence. He was ready for Zikan before the soldier could even get halfway across the bridge.

As Link hoped down from Epona and went to follow his rash companion, an arrow struck near his feet. Apparently, the man's friends had also cottoned on that they were under attack.

Link wished they could just talk about all this. He wasn’t sure what these men had done, but he wasn’t keen on just attacking them. He knew he would win but he didn’t really want to hurt anyone if he could help it. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like he was going to be able to help it; not when another arrow breezed past his ear, catching its pointed tip. He encouraged the horses away and then took cover behind the nearest post as he nocked his own bow.

Link had needed to learn to shoot with precision at a young age. These days he was a master at it. Taking a deep breath, he let his arrow fly straight and true, catching the shoulder of his attacker. It wasn’t a fatal wound, but it was bad enough that Link felt terrible. He hoped it would be enough to scare him off. Link hated attacking people, especially when he didn’t know what their crimes were.

Turning his attention back to Zikan, Link saw the young soldier engaged in an intense sword battle with the man he had charged. In Zikan’s defence, he was faring well against the clearly superior swordsman, but he was still injured, his shoulder obviously screaming in protest every time he moved it. Link wished the stubborn man had allowed him to use a fairy, at least then he might have been able to hold off his attacker until Link arrived.

Reaching them would be a problem. Two more men – one only a little bigger than Link, the other a great, hulking man – had emerged from the tent and were crossing the bridge, ready to charge Link. From the looks of matching fury in their eyes, they hadn’t taken too kindly to Link shooting their friend.

Link met their clumsy sword strikes with his own, knocking the first guy down with nothing more than a punch to the face. His friend wouldn’t be so easy to fell, he realised. He might not have been a master swordsman, but he was no amateur either. He matched Link’s blows, snarling a crooked grin as he realised the hero was going easy on him, not attacking to kill. He, clearly, wasn’t offering the same compassion. What his swings lacked in precision they made up for in brute strength. Link was strong, but he’d always been slim, and this guy was forcing him back with relative ease.

“What’s the problem, runt? Realised you picked a fight with the wrong people?” the man growled, clearly enjoying himself.

Link gritted his teeth, keeping his sword up in front of his face as the enemy’s sword pushed against it, driving it closer and closer to his nose. It was all Link could do to keep it back. He’d really lost his touch if he couldn’t beat this brute…

Link felt himself panicking as his mind was thrown back to months before, to a moment that had haunted his dreams every night since. His grip was slackening but all he could see was red. All he could feel was pain. All he could hear were his own screams of agony –

“Link!” a desperate cry rang out, snapping the hero back into reality. With newfound strength, he pushed back, surprising his assailant who’d been sure of his win. Link pushed back until the man stumbled and when the pressure of his sword was away from Link’s, the hero swung his own sword into the man’s leg. Link did his damn best to ignore the cry of pain that followed.

“If I were you, I would stay down,” Link said, his eyes burning into the man’s with such intensity that the brute stayed silent, swallowing back any insult he’d been about to throw.

“What are you?” he said quietly to Link’s back as Link turned away from him. Before Link could answer, he saw why Zikan had called out for help. The man he was fighting had gotten him backed against the cliff edge. His sword hung limply in his injured arm and even from his distance, Link could see the blood dripping down it, to the dirt below.

Clearly exhausted, Zikan didn’t have any fight left in him and, too far away to do more than watch, Link was unable to help as his attacker drove his sword into the young soldier.

“Zikan!” Link screamed, taking off at a run. He crossed the bridge and was sprinting, arm outstretched, as the sword was pulled from him.

Even as Zikan fell backwards, their eyes met but when Link’s hands grasped at the spot Zikan had been, he met only air. The young soldier was already falling into the river below where if his wounds didn’t kill him, the current of the waterfall probably would.


	8. Chapter 8

On his knees, Link stared desperately over the side of the cliff Zikan had vanished over. His heart hammered so loudly he couldn’t hear anything else. As such, it took Link a few long minutes before he realised it was weird that he hadn’t been attacked yet. Forcing life back into his blank eyes, he turned to see the gang Zikan had been so desperate to attack had cleared out. Clearly, they’d had enough sense between them to know that Link was a foe they wouldn’t be able to beat, especially after killing Zikan. Right in front of him.

For a panicked moment, Link worried they might have stolen Epona – she was all he had left – but after a quick scan he spied her and Sage across the bridge, waiting loyally for their masters to return.

Link glanced once more down at the rushing river below before making up his mind. At a sprint, he recrossed the bridge, mounting Epona with the agility of someone who’d had years of practice. Sage followed faithfully as they took off at a gallop, back down Gerudo Valley and across the field as they made their way to Lake Hylia.

Even pushing Epona to her limits, it took them two hours to make it around the mountain and enter the lake via the side with the laboratory. Lake Hylia was as vast and beautiful as Link remembered, filled with sparkling water straight from the Zora River. He didn’t really have time to be in awe of its beauty however, not when there was a chance – albeit slim – that Zikan might have somehow, miraculously, survived.

Until he knew for sure, Link was going to search. He’d search all night if he had to. Zikan had been his responsibility and Link had let him down. He wouldn’t let him down again.

Hopelessness flooded through Link, weighing him down. He’d been searching for what felt like hours and was fast losing daylight and still, there was no sign of his fallen companion. He’d walked the grounds at least four times already. He’d dove down to the depths of the lake repeatedly, growing more frantic each time he came back for breath without having found anything.

He was starting to lose hope that he’d ever find the man when he spotted a Zora pop up a short distance away.

“Hey!” Link called out, desperate to get their attention before they vanished again. The Zora looked up as Link sprinted as close as he could, his drying clothes stiff and protesting the movement.

“Hero of time,” the Zora greeted, swimming over as Link panted, catching his breath.

Link looked up at that, surprised. “You know who I am?”

“I recognise you,” the Zora said simply. “You might not be wearing your strange green garments, but I never forget a face, especially one who helped save my people.”

“Ah, okay,” Link mumbled.

“What can I do for you, hero?”

“Just… Just Link,” he said, uncomfortable with the praise he certainly didn’t deserve. Especially now. “My friend… He was attacked and fell down the falls. I – I can’t –” It felt like there was a lump in his throat. Getting words out was proving a struggle, Link’s emotions getting the better of him. Fortunately, the Zora’s gaze softened in understanding.

“I found a young Hylian a couple of hours back. He is receiving treatment in Zora Domain. I was actually hoping to run into anyone who might be worried for him, so I’m glad it was you, her- Link.”

Link swallowed audibly. “He’s - He’s alive?”

“Yes, though we are limited for what we can do for him. I fear he will need healing from a Great Fairy if he is to make it.”

The news was conflicting. Zikan was alive, but only just. Zora Domain was several days ride away unless Link used the secret entrance at Lake Hylia. Link no longer owned the tunic that allowed him to breathe underwater however, and the journey was too far to make without it.

The Zora seemed to read the thoughts no doubt plastered across Link’s face. “You might not be able to hold your breath long enough to make it yourself, young Link, but I can swim much faster than you ever could. It is not the done thing for a Zora to carry a Hylian but I think with you, we can make an exception. Hop in the water and I will take you to Zora Domain.”

Link didn’t argue.

Thanks to his golden scale, Link could hold his breath longer than most, but the journey from Lake Hylia to Zora Domain was still a struggle. Even with the Zora’s speed, Link felt the world fading around him by the time he was being dragged out of the water. He coughed and spluttered, drawing much-needed oxygen into his lungs as the world came back in blinding technicolour, leaving Link dizzy and ill.

Despite his hurry, it took Link a few minutes of coughing up what could be considered half of the lake before he was able to move. Even then, when he stood, he stumbled, the world spinning. He forced himself forward, ignoring his bodies protests, and followed the Zora through the whimsical corridors of the Zora’s Domain.

A young Zora sat with Zikan when they reached him. She appeared to be telling him a story, although from his closed eyes, agitated breathing and the sweat pouring off him, Zikan wasn’t listening. Unperturbed she carried on regardless, her voice soothing and kind.

Seeing Zikan like this, so pale and feverish and fighting off death, was hard. Link had to dig his nails into his palms to stop him fleeing the room, flashbacks of himself in a similar position threatening to overwhelm him. He blinked them away, his teeth gritted against their return. Now wasn’t about him. This was _Zikan_ in danger, this was _Zikan_ dying.

Link stepped forward, reaching for the soaked backpack that Malon had given him. He’d left a lot of its contents with Epona and Sage back at Lake Hylia, but he’d brought the fairies.

The Zora who’d brought him – Link hadn’t asked their name, hadn’t even thought to – had been right. If Zikan was going to stand any chance of surviving this, he needed to see a Great Fairy. However, one of her small fairies would hopefully heal his wounds enough that travelling wouldn’t kill him.

“That won’t save him,” the young Zora said as he withdrew a bottle complete with a seemingly disgruntled fairy – quite possibly annoyed at the bashing it received upon travelling to Zora’s Domain.

“I know,” Link said, finally reaching Zikan’s side. Lying as he did now, he looked like a child. Link couldn’t believe he hadn’t fought harder to keep the young soldier safe and away from his path of vengeance. “It’ll buy him time, though.”

“You’ll take him to the Great Fairy?” The young Zora’s eyes lit up. “I tried to convince the others to take him, but they said it was not their responsibility to go out of their way to save a Hylian.” Link tried not to get angry at that because, technically, he supposed, it was true. Still, there was a Great Fairy fountain located in the Zora’s Domain and he couldn’t help but be annoyed that nobody had been willing to take him.

Seemingly reading his thoughts, the little Zora added, “The Great Fairy of Zora Domain is in a sacred area. We’re not strictly allowed back there. Many worry the area is cursed since everything that happened with Lord Jabu-Jabu many years ago. He ate the princess Ruto, you know?” She sounded more like the child she was when she added the last part, her eyes wide in wonder and excitement.

Link remembered that very clearly, but the little Zora didn’t know who he was, and Link didn’t care to enlighten her.

“Will they let me enter?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted sadly. Brightening quickly, she said, “But you should be able to get an audience with the king!”

“Is the king still Zora De Bon XVI?” Link asked, recalling his childhood. If the Zora king hadn’t changed, then he was probably in luck.

“You know the king?” Her eyes were practically sparkling now, clearly amazed that this Hylian stranger was so well versed in her people.

“We’ve met,” Link said, relief washing over him. The Zora king had let Link pass into the sacred area before, surely he wouldn’t refuse him this time. “Do you know how I can get an audience with the king?”

As a child, Link had the audacity to just wander in but, now grown, he realised that had been the wrong way to go about things. Wandering in unannounced as anything other than a clueless, adorable kid was probably a sure way to get his plea denied.

The young Zora sprung to her feet, eager to help. “I’ll sort it!” she exclaimed. “You stay here and use a fairy on your friend. I’ll be back soon!” With that she was rushing off, leaving Link to finally open the fairy jar. He watched as it worked its magic around Zikan, easing some of his discomforts and healing his minor cuts and bruises, including the small cut on his face he’d received from fighting the Lizalfos.

The stab wound in his chest seemed hardly affected.

“I’ll get you to the Great Fairy,” Link promised. “Just hold on until then, okay?” He reached out, sliding his fingers over Zikan’s clammy hand to gently squeeze his digits. They felt so cold and lifeless that Link almost let go again, having to force himself to keep hold so that the soldier would know he wasn’t alone.

Link had a horrible feeling that since his sister’s death, Zikan felt as if he were exactly that: alone. He also worried that vengeance was the only thing keeping him going and, once Zikan achieved it, he wouldn’t feel like there was anything left to stick around for.

He wasn’t sure how to prove to Zikan that it wasn’t true. Especially when Link, himself, sometimes felt the same.


	9. Chapter 9

The Zora king agreed to an immediate audience with Link. When the young female Zora returned – Zota, Link learned – her eyes twinkled with excitement.

“You’re the hero of time!” she announced as if Link might not know.

“Uh,” Link tugged awkwardly at his neckline and nodded. “Yeah, yeah I am.”

“That is _so_ cool! What was it like inside of Lord Jabu-Jabu? What was princess Ruto like? Is it true you were engaged to her? I guess you couldn’t marry because she was a sage and all, but was she the love of your life or –”

“Calm down, Lota.” The Zora who had brought Link here was back. He put a hand of the young Zora’s shoulder and she immediately sagged, pouting like the child she was. “Link, the king will see you now. Follow me.”

Link remembered the way, but he followed faithfully, wanting to make a good impression since he was asking to visit their sacred area. His boots splashed through puddles as he followed down winding corridors until they reached the familiar throne room.

The Zora king looked much like Link remembered. This time around he showed due respect, bowing low before rising to meet his eyes, a desperate glint in them.

“Young hero, you have returned,” the king said. “I hear you are once more seeking permission to enter the sacred grounds of our deity, Lord Jabu-Jabu?”

Link nodded. “I seek a Great Fairy and the one inside Zora’s Fountain is by far the closest. My friend… He needs her help –” There was an edge of desperation in Link’s voice which the king didn’t miss.

“We have reason to believe this man is one of Hyrule’s royal guard?” Link nodded again. “We hope to keep our alliance with the queen of Hyrule. Aside’s from that, you did us great service twice in your past. I will allow you to pass. I know that is what my daughter, princess Ruto would want also.”

Link let out a small sigh of relief. He’d hoped it would be that easy, but he’d certainly feared it wouldn’t be. The world often didn’t like to be kind to Link.

“Thank you, your majesty,” Link said, lowering into another bow.

“Nara will help you bring your friend through,” the king continued, finally giving Link a name for the Zora who had been so kind to him. “I ask that once your friend is healed you do not linger.”

Link bowed his head respectfully and thanked the king. After that he wasted no time, rushing back to Zikan whom they had left with Lota. The young Zora girl was holding his hand, a worried look across her face. Relief washed over her as they burst into the room.

“He’s getting worse,” she said, a little fearfully. Link wondered if she’d ever seen someone dying before. He hoped not. He wished he’d been able to spare her this ordeal as well, but he’d failed her as much as he’d failed Zikan.

Between them, Link and Nara tried to support Zikan’s weight, but he wasn’t conscious enough to walk with them. Wordlessly, Link scoped the younger man into his arms instead. Zikan was taller than him but surprisingly light.

“Can you manage?” Nara asked. Link gave a grunted yes and hurried from the room, wasting no time in returning to the kings’ throne room. Nara and Lota followed but when they reached the passing into the Zora fountain they stopped.

“We can’t go through,” Lota said. “Good luck, Link! I hope the great fairy heals your friend fully.” Link flashed her a small smile and crossed through into the Zora deity’s sacred area.

Last time Link had been here, Lord Jabu-Jabu had been nowhere in sight. Link wasn’t even sure he’d survived the arctic freeze that had clasped its icy fingers over the Zora’s Domain. This was obviously not the case, for as Link emerged from the tunnel the familiar giant creature was right where Link remembered from his childhood.

Although he wasn’t a Zora, Lord Jabu-Jabu was an ancient deity and Link felt bad not acknowledging him as he passed. Zikan was more important, however, and Link liked to think the creature would understand. Cradling Zikan close to him, Link submerged their bodies into the water. Swimming while keeping Zikan afloat as well was difficult but fortunately, the distance wasn’t very far. Making his way to the southeast corner, Link managed to reach the small bank where the Great Fairies cave was and haul Zikan onto dry land. Pulling himself up after, Link didn’t wait to catch his breath before picking up the unconscious soldier and rushing into the cave.

Link had been to plenty of Great Fairy fountains in his times, but they never ceased to amaze him. There was something truly magical about them, from the lulling music that hummed nonstop in his ears to the glittering curtain of pink magic that rained down, encasing the area. The gently humming magic dried both men almost instantly, much to Link’s relief.

Lying Zikan down gently at the edge of the fountain, Link pulled out his original ocarina – the old one Saria had given him – and played the familiar tune he hadn’t in what felt like an age. The melody was ingrained into his memory like his own name and his fingers moved from muscle memory. 

For the briefest of seconds, nothing happened.

Then Link heard her.

She rose from the pool in a chime of laughter, her scantily dressed body pivoting playfully as if she had all the time in the world. As if _Zikan_ had all the time in the world.

“Welcome back, Link,” she said finally. “I see it is not you today that is in need of healing.”

“Can you help him?” At this, she laughed again, as if his question was ridiculous.

“Of course, I can,” she said. When Link was starting to worry that she was going to add, ‘but do I want to?’, the Great Fairy smiled kindly. With a gesture of her hands, gold stardust seemed to encircle Zikan, lifting him from the floor. Link grit his teeth as he watched the soldier’s arms and legs flop uselessly below him.

As the light grew brighter, it also grew hotter, nearly bringing Link to his knees. Link had always felt the burn of magic but never so intently; he wondered whether it was hotter because he wasn’t the one it was being cast upon or whether he had simply never required the amount Zikan was currently receiving.

When the magic evaporated, Link had to blink multiple times to clear his vision. Zikan had been lowered back to the floor and, while he still wasn’t moving, he no longer looked on the brink of death. Sweat no longer clung to his forehead, nor did he thrash around as if his dreams were plagued by monsters.

“I have healed his body, but his mind is still in desperate need of help,” the Great Fairy said sadly. “There is nothing I can do for that pain, I’m afraid. Only time will heal him. Look out for him, Link. He needs a friend right now. As, I think, do you.”

Before Link could reply, the Great Fairy vanished back into her fountain, leaving Zikan and Link alone. He thanked the air instead, sure that she could probably hear him.

Zikan was already stirring when Link kneeled beside him. He groaned, wincing as his body stretched on impulse, although Link knew from experience that the Great Fairy had fully healed all of his wounds.

The young soldier didn’t say anything for a long moment as he blinked around the room, finally focusing on Link still knelt beside him.

“What happened? Where are we?”

“What do you remember?” Link asked softly, unsure of how he should answer that question.

Zikan knot his brows together in thought, flinching moments later when the memories seemed to come back to him in full force.

“How am I alive?” he said in wonder.

“Luck, mostly.” If Nara hadn’t found him, by the time Link had, Zikan would surely have been dead. Thanks to the Zora’s helping him and the fairy Link had used, Zikan’s body had held on long enough to get him the help he needed. Even the smallest change might have triggered a much different outcome.

“You helped me,” Zikan said, sounding surprised which, in turn, surprised Link. He knew Zikan wasn’t his biggest fan, but surely the man didn’t think so little of Link that he’d expected the hero to leave him for dead?

“Of course, I did.”

Zikan didn’t say anything for a long minute, even avoiding making eye contact. Eventually, eyes still focused on his lap, he mumbled, “Thank you.”

“Just try not to almost die again anytime soon,” Link said. He decided against trying to convince Zikan to give up on vengeance altogether. He hadn’t known the soldier long, but he felt he knew him well enough to know that would never happen.

“Where are we?” Zikan asked, his eyes scanning their surroundings in awe. In his relief to see Zikan awake and alive, Link had almost forgotten that they were still inside the Great Fairy Fountain. He answered the soldier’s question and restrained a smile at his gasp of awe. “We’re currently in the Zora Domain,” he added when Zikan seemed to regain his composure.

“Really?” The soldier asked excitedly. “I’ve never been!”

Link couldn’t help but smile. “There’s a big world out there, Zikan. Maybe you should explore it.”

“What about you?”

“I’ve done my exploring. Now I just want to settle down.” Link wasn’t sure if he imagined Zikan’s face fall at that.

For a short while, they were silent. Zikan found his feet and began exploring the magical cave, his eyes large with wonder as he scanned every inch.

“The Great Fairy,” he said finally. “She healed me?”

“She did.” Link nodded in affirmative.

“Where is she now?”

“She never sticks around long.”

“She didn’t want to make sure I was okay?” He sounded disappointed. Link couldn’t help but wonder if he’d heard stories of the Great Fairy’s beauty and had hoped to cast eyes upon her himself. Something stirred within him at the thought, but he didn’t understand it and therefore ignored it.

“I think she’s pretty confident in her abilities.”

“I guess,” Zikan said, still sounding disappointed. To cheer him up, Link suggested they had back to the Zora’s Domain where Zikan would be able to meet his saviour.

“I’m amazed Nara managed to get you there alive. I nearly downed going through the secret entrance,” Link explained as they walked out of the cave. Once back in the cold open air, Zikan once again gawped, this time as he laid eyes on Lord Jabu-Jabu.

“Come on,” Link said, suppressing a laugh. “We’re gonna need to swim. Are you up for it?”

“Of course! I feel better than ever,” the soldier practically boasted.

On his way to the fountain, Link had been too concerned with getting Zikan healed to notice the cold chill of the water. It bit into him now as he submerged his body. Apparently, in agreement, Zikan swore loudly.

Fortunately, the swim wasn’t a long one and they were soon back out of the water. First, they acknowledged Lord Jabu-Jabu, apologising for disturbing his sacred area and bowing low. When Link felt they’d been respectful enough and before Zikan’s gawping could border on rude, they went through the tunnel and back into the throne room. There was nowhere in Zora Domain to get dry, so they sucked it up, trying to repress their shivers as they thanked the king for allowing them into the sacred area.

Nara and Lota were waiting for them just outside the throne room. Link introduced Zikan to them, making sure the young soldier knew just how vital they had been in the role of saving his life.

“Thank you.” Zikan sounded so genuine as he practically bowed to them both. Link was pleased to note that just because Zikan was rarely nice to him it didn’t mean he was incapable of politeness. Lota giggled at the gesture and Link was reminded of Ruto when he had saved her as a child.

Not wanting to outstay their welcome (not to mention, desperate to start a fire and dry their wet clothes) Link and Zikan left soon after, thanking the Zora’s profusely and promising to visit again soon.

Sure, they could have asked Nara if he’d have been willing to help them back through the tunnel and return them to Lake Hylia, but Link didn’t think that would be appropriate. Nara had already gone above and beyond to help them, and Link didn’t want to put them out further. Besides, he wasn’t keen on almost drowning again just to shave some time off their journey.

Link and Zikan waited until they were back on Hyrule field before setting up camp by the river and building a fire.

Zikan stared into the crackling fire without speaking for a long while, watching the logs glow as flames curled around them. Eventually, when he spoke, he did so without turning to face Link.

“Thank you. I mean it.”

“It’s fine,” Link said. “I wasn’t going to leave you for dead.”

“Not just about that,” Zikan looked up, his green eyes fierce. “Thank you for coming with me on this stupid mission. Thank you for not trying to restrain me like my fellow guards did. Thank you for not asking questions I’m not ready to answer.”

Link blinked, surprised. That was a lot; the raw emotion in the younger man's voice stunned him into struggling to find words to reply with.

Finally, he settled with, “Of course, no problem. And I understand. There are things I don’t want to talk about either.”

“You have nightmares too,” Zikan said, once again avoiding making eye contact. It wasn’t a question.

“…Yeah,” Link said. “Sometimes I wonder whether I’ve even woken up from it yet.”


	10. Chapter 10

They had to pass by Kakariko village to return to Lake Hylia but Zikan was adamant that he wouldn’t return home. While he didn’t mention anything about his quest for vengeance, he refused to allow Link to make the long journey back to the horses alone.

“This is all my fault,” he said. “I’m going to make it right.” Link wanted to say it wasn’t true, that Zikan was certainly not to blame for their current situation. He had come to realise, however, that Zikan was stubborn. It was better in the long run just to nod and allow the soldier to join him. It saved him a headache, too. Besides, Link had gotten used to his company in the few short days they had spent together. It helped that it was nice not to be travelling alone for the first time in years. Having Zikan by his side took away the lingering sadness at Navi having left him after Hyrule had been saved.

Link had got it. Fairies didn’t stay with Hylians. She had only ever joined him for his mission. But they’d become friends, he’d thought, and she’d just flown off into the night without a second thought.

Briefly, Link had had another fairy friend. During his stay in Termina, he had been joined with Tatl, but that had only ever been a temporary alliance. While they parted on good terms, Link had never been under the illusion that Tatl would ever stay with him.

Asides from Epona, Link had been alone ever since.

“It’s going to be a long journey,” Link warned. He had contemplated returning to Lon Lon Ranch to request more horses. Asides from the fact Link loathed the idea of admitting to Malon that he’d lost Epona and Sage, once they reunited with their horses, it would be awkward to have two spare, riderless ones to return as well.

“Not like I have anything better to do,” Zikan said, shrugging. Something in the way he said it made Link think there was more to it. Maybe, much like Link himself, the young soldier didn’t want to be alone. The only problem was, Link wasn’t sure he’d chosen the right person to tag along with. Trouble seemed to follow Link around like a bad smell. Just because Zikan seemed proficient in finding his _own_ danger, that didn’t mean when trouble finally found Link it wouldn’t end up destroying them both.

Despite knowing that, despite knowing it would be best to send Zikan away for his own good, Link simply nodded. He wasn’t the fearless warrior he’d once been and while it might not be sensible, he couldn’t bring himself to force the other man back home. Besides, he mentally reasoned, Zikan was pretty reckless. At least if Link was with him, he could keep an eye on him. Who knows what trouble Zikan would get up to on his own?

Zikan’s near-death experience seemed to have brought him out of his shell. He talked as they trudged along, feeling the air grow colder and damper with the threat of rain. Mostly it was mindless chatter without much substance, but it kept them occupied and focused on something other than how their feet ached and their fingers stung from the bitter chill in the air.

He told Link about his love of art and how he’d been drawing since he was a child. Link remembered the pictures pinned up in Zikan’s house and finally had an answer to which sibling had been the artist. 

“Zota always tried to encourage me to pursue art,” he said softly. “She didn’t want me to become a soldier. Said it was too dangerous. Our parents were royal guards.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that,” Link said quietly, already guessing where this was going.

“They died during Ganondorf’s reign.”

“I’m sorry.” Link hated hearing about the casualties during the time he was asleep. It made him feel guilty, like he should have been able to save them all.

Zikan seemed to realise this. “You were just a child,” he said gently. “I don’t blame you.” He curled his numb fingers into fists and added bitterly, “I blame Ganondorf.”

“I just wish I could have stopped him earlier,” Link admitted. He’d wondered about that a lot over the years. He was sure there must have been something he could have done. _Anything_.

For a short while, silence fell again. It started to spit rain, bringing the low mood down further. The dampness of the grass they walked through soaked into their shoes, making Link wish more than anything that Epona was in range of his ocarina. If only it was as easy as playing her song to call her to him.

“What was it like?” Zikan asked quietly, breaking the silence. He clarified his question with, “Having to save Hyrule at such a young age?”

Link thought about it for a while. “Hard,” he admitted truthfully. “I was just a child following orders. I did what the Deku Tree asked of me and then what Zelda asked and then what the sages asked. It was all just… a lot.”

Zikan chewed his lip in thought, clearly fighting with whether to ask a certain question. Eventually, his curiosity won. “Do you wish it had been someone else?”

Link wasn’t sure how to answer that. Did he wish that he’d had a normal childhood and had been allowed to be just that, _a child_? Of course. At the same time, however, he wouldn’t have wished what he went through on anybody else.

“No,” he said eventually. “My experiences made me who I am now. Before the Deku tree summoned me, I was lazy and without ambition. I’ve been through a lot but I’m a better person because of it.” Link wasn’t sure he entirely believed his own words, but they seemed to resonate with Zikan and that was the important thing.

The rain soon picked up into a downpour and the pair sought shelter under a large tree by the river, deciding it was high time to stop for the night anyway; daylight was fading fast. Although the Great Fairy had fully healed him, Zikan seemed especially dead on his feet so, despite his protests, Link took first watch and insisted the younger man sleep.

Even with the shelter the large tree provided it was still cold and wet. This didn’t stop Zikan from falling asleep within minutes. Link watched him for a short while. For the first time since they had begun their journey, Zikan seemed to sleep soundly, too tired to be plagued by bad dreams. Link was glad; Zikan deserved a few hours reprieve from everything.

Eventually, Link’s gaze flickered to the rain still falling steadily around them. They hadn’t been able to find any wood dry enough to start a fire, so he vigorously rubbed his fingers together for warmth. Without Link’s permission, the steady fall of rain combined with the long hours they had walked helped ease Link into a trance-like state.

He was drawn from it abruptly when a flash of silver caught his eyes. Link hardly had any reaction time to avoid the sword taking his head off. Somehow, he just managed to bring his own sword up to parry the blow. His arms trembling against the strain, Link raised his gaze to meet his attacker, his eyes growing wide as he did.

“H-how…” His resolve faltered and both blades inched closer to his face.

Red eyes sparkled as a maniacal smile spread across the face that mirrored his own. “Long time no see,” Dark Link said, winking. “I’ve missed you.” That white flash of teeth was positively terrifying. Link felt sweat pour down his forehead as he tried to hold his evil counterparts’ blade back with his own. Dark Link was stronger though. He’d _always_ been stronger. 

Link was fighting a losing battle. His own blade, protecting him from his dark counterparts, was almost grazing his nose now. He didn’t have the strength to fight this.

“Just give up,” Dark Link taunted, red eyes glowing. “You’re nothing, Link.”

_You’re nothing._

Link.

“Link!”

Link jolted awake with a start, panting heavily. Zikan was leaning over him, concern in his eyes that were decidedly not red. “Are you okay?” the younger man asked. He didn’t seem annoyed that the hero had fallen asleep while on watch, but Link was still instantly filled with a mixture of embarrassment and defensiveness. 

Looking down, he realised he’d drawn his sword. The concern in Zikan’s eyes was probably for his own safety and not Link’s. Link was a real soldier and, sleepwalking or not, he could do some serious damage if he wanted to.

“Sorry!” he gasped, sheathing his sword.

“It’s fine,” Zikan said, a little uneasily. “It’s just… Are you okay?”

Was Link okay? If he was drawing his sword while asleep then probably not. He was dangerous and should send Zikan away. He clearly wasn’t safe to be around. He opened his mouth to say as much but then closed it again. Maybe it was a fluke?

It had stopped raining, but Link was soaked, drenched in sweat no doubt. He glanced at the river.

“I’m fine,” he decided, standing up. “I just going to have a swim.” Zikan gawped at him. Trying to pay no heed, Link shrugged off his loose shirt and wandered over to the water, diving straight in once he reached the edge.

The water was bitterly cold but refreshed him, waking him up instantly. He didn’t want to risk falling asleep again if it meant he might draw his sword on Zikan.

Link had nightmares about his dark self often, but they were never quite like that. He hadn’t even realised he’d fallen asleep. He’d honestly believed he was being attacked as he sat on watch. Drawing his weapon was also a first for his nightmares and was something he needed to get a handle on quickly unless he wanted to live a life of complete isolation.

…Maybe that would be best? Maybe Link just wasn’t meant to be happy.

When he finally climbed out of the lake, Zikan had somehow managed to get a fire going and had laid Link’s shirt by it to warm and dry.

When Link approached, shivering and dripping everywhere, Zikan glanced at him, eyes growing wide. Link dropped his own gaze, not wanting to watch the younger man react to all the scars that decorated his body.

He reached out, shrugging on his shirt and mumbling a thanks through his chattering teeth. Link didn’t know how long he’d been in the water, but his whole body was numb and Zikan had had enough time to find wood and kindling dry enough to build a roaring fire so it must have been a while. The heat of the flames engulfed him, quickly taking the edge off as it worked on slowing warming his bones.

When Link finally looked up, Zikan was looking anywhere but at him. His face was a little flushed from his proximity to the fire.

Link hesitated. “I’m sorry,” he said finally. “I… I’m not sure I’m safe to be around. Maybe – Maybe it would be better if –”

“No,” Zikan said firmly, cutting over him. “Don’t tell me to leave because I won’t go.”

“But –”

“You didn’t hurt me,” Zikan argued. “Besides, I can look after myself just fine.”

“You were meant to be asleep! If you hadn’t of woken up who knows what I could have done!” Zikan’s stubbornness was especially frustrating but mostly, Link was just annoyed at himself. His whole thing was protecting people. If he couldn’t do that then what was the point of him?

Then again, wasn’t he ready to pack that all in? He was ready for a quiet life where he didn’t have to worry about protecting people. And, if he was the one the people needed protecting from then all the more reason for him to give it up and hide.

“Don’t be so full of yourself,” Zikan snapped back, although they both knew that in a fight against one another the younger stood no chance.

Their shouting at one another drew over a curious Poe. Link stood abruptly, glared perhaps a little childishly at Zikan and walked off to dispose of it. He caught the purple flame it left behind in an empty milk jar in case he crossed a Poe merchant somewhere along the road.

When he returned, Zikan seemed to have calmed down a little.

“You should get some sleep,” Zikan told the hero. Before Link could protest, he continued. “I’ve had plenty so if you decide to chop off my head while you’re asleep I’ll be awake and aware of what’s going on.”

Link loathed the idea of it, but he was also exhausted, and they had a full day of walking ahead of them once the sun rose. Zikan might not be able to beat Link in a fight but the hero trusted that he could wake Link should he show any aggressive behaviour.

Despite this, he still moved further away from the fire, seeking shelter by the trunk of the tree. He caught Zikan roll his eyes but decided to ignore it. No good would come out of them ripping out one another’s throats.

When Link woke it was naturally and his sword was where he’d left it, propped up against the trunk of the tree and outside of his grip.

Pleased with this, it took Link several minutes before he noticed the deep cuts in his palms from where he had been clenching his fists while asleep. He washed away the blood while Zikan wasn’t looking but, judging from the frequent glances the younger man sent Link’s way, he hadn’t been as discreet as he’d hoped.


	11. Chapter 11

As luck would have it, they did come across a travelling merchant during their walk the next day. While he was not a Poe merchant, he was happy to take it off Link’s hands. In exchange, Link purchased some food and two blankets to make up for the luggage they left with the horses. He also managed to get hold of a bound notebook and a pair of pencils which he presented to a surprisingly happy Zikan. Link hadn’t been sure the gift would go over well, but maybe drawing was Zikan’s escape away from the harsh realities of his life and not a painful reminder as to what he’d lost? 

Neither man discussed the previous night although both clearly wanted to.

They stopped for the day shortly after darkness had fallen and the sky began twinkling with stars. Zikan busied himself with building the fire. Once roaring, Link cooked and then they took it in turns taking watch. Neither slept well when it was their turn to rest, but they managed to get enough to put one foot in front of the other during their long hikes. That same pattern of walking all day and only properly stopping when the world around them became too dark to carry on continued for the next four days. The pair fell into a routine, becoming used to one another’s company and learning to trust each other implicitly. They talked about anything they could think of that didn’t have weight to it. Zikan managed to convince Link to spar with him. They took turns disposing of any monsters they happened across on Hyrule’s vast stretches of grassland. When it was Zikan’s turn, Link no longer gripped his sword, ready to step in if needed.

They both still had nightmares that they didn’t talk about, but they’d discovered that simply their presence helped calm the other. As such, whichever of them was on watch would usually sit close to the other. It kept them warmer too. Safer, and something else that neither of them understood enough to register in any way of merit.

“We should arrive tomorrow,” Link said as he sorted through their food on the fifth night of their travels. They had been getting low so Link had fished out his bow in the afternoon, managing to catch them a rabbit that should see them through until they reached Epona and the pack that was hopefully still with her. He had also forested some mushrooms and berries, enough to make them a decent meal for the first time in what felt like ages.

“Then what?” Zikan asked, not looking up from the flints he was striking together.

Link hesitated. On the tip of his tongue, he had an array of answers: head back to Kakariko village, go their separate ways, return to Hyrule castle… Something was stopping him saying any of them though and it made him uneasy that the words wouldn’t come.

“What do _you_ want to do?” he asked finally. Zikan seemed surprised at the question. He looked up from the kindling he had finally managed to make catch and met Link’s eyes.

“You’re giving me a choice?”

“I’m not saying I’ll agree with it, but yes.”

“I still want to find those men,” Zikan said. The firelight reflected in his green eyes, the dancing flames adding determination to his hard stare.

Link had tried not to give the men a lot of thought since their encounter at Gerudo valley. The thought of them made his chest tighten with anger. Link wanted to keep his anger at bay. If he let it boil up inside of him, it might come out while he was sleeping and put Zikan at risk. Now that the younger man had put the gang back on his mind, however, Link was having a hard time taming the flames burning inside of him. Zikan had almost died because of them and, although Link didn’t know the story behind it, Zikan’s sister _had_ actually died. Link would never know the man Zikan had been before her death because they had destroyed that man and left behind somebody else. Somebody hell-bent on vengeance even if it cost them their own life.

Link couldn’t let that happen.

“We might not be able to find them,” Link said. After all, it had been a week since their last known location. The men had a serious head start on them and Link and Zikan had no clue where they planned to head next. The only bonus Link could see was that the gang didn’t seem to have horses of their own. Once the duo was reunited with Epona and Sage, they would have a bonus the men they pursued did not.

“…You still want to help me?”

“If I don’t, you’re going to try and find them anyway, aren’t you? Alone.”

“Yes,” Zikan said.

“Then count me in.”

“Thank you, Link.” He smiled at Link, stunning the older man momentarily. It was rare that Zikan smiled at all, let along directed at Link. 

“Uh,” he stuttered. “N-no problem.” By the time he managed to twist his own lips into a smile, Zikan had already dropped his attention back to the fire. Link continued to watch him discreetly. 

There was something about Zikan that Link couldn’t put his finger on. The younger man fascinated him. Maybe it was his stubborn determination or the fact that unlike everyone else Link met, he wasn’t trying to impress Link or make him feel like some kind of special being. In fact, Link still wasn’t entirely sure the younger man even liked him. It seemed more likely that Link was beneficial in his mission and once it was complete would happily go his own way and never see the hero again.

That was fine… _right_?

Eventually, Link caught himself and returned his attention to the food, preparing the rabbit and setting it above the fire to cook.

“Oh man, it’ll be nice to have real food,” Zikan said eagerly.

“Sorry,” Link apologised. “I probably should have done some hunting earlier on during the week.” They had been living off the dried food Link had purchased from the merchant, along with fruit and vegetables they found along the way.

“Are you kidding? That’s not your responsibility. You’ve got enough on your plate.” Zikan just kept on surprisingly Link. He smiled gratefully at the younger man before turning his attention to the seasoning he had also purchased from the merchant.

Over the years Link had become quite the chef and the rabbit stew he cooked up while Zikan doodled in his sketchbook was worthy of the praise Zikan showered upon it. The soldier took one mouthful, eyes widening and near enough fist-pumped the air.

“Gods, this is incredible Link! Where did you learn to cook like this?”

“I’ve had a lot of practice. Believe me, up until a couple of years ago your reaction would have been the complete opposite.” Link laughed, recalling some of his more… dubious meals he’d prepared over the years. In his defence, as a child trying to save Hyrule from Ganondorf, he didn’t have a lot of time to prepare meals and hone his skills. He was a little busy trying not to die.

Once done eating, Zikan returned to his notebook, purposely angling it away from Link. Link just watched him instead, surprised by the meditative state Zikan seemed to have slipped into, his face full of peace since the first time Link had met him. He was glad the sketchbook had gone over well; from the looks of it, Zikan had already filled many of its pages.

Without meaning to, Link drifted off to sleep, lulled by the crackling fire and the scratching of Zikan’s pencil on paper. For the first time in a long time, Link didn’t have nightmares. Instead, he dreamed of confusing things he couldn’t make sense of and forgot when he awoke a few short hours later.

Glancing at Zikan, still drawing by firelight, Link got the sense that the young soldier had featured in his dreams. What his role had been, however, Link couldn’t recall and so he shook the thoughts away, instead offering to take watch so Zikan could get some sleep.

He glanced over curiously at the notebook after Zikan’s breathing had evened out but shook any thought of prying away. Instead, he spent his watched staring out at the starry night's sky and trying not to think about anything in particular.

They finally reached Lake Hylia mid-afternoon the next day. Epona was always good about staying in range of where Link had left her and, fortunately, she had managed to persuade Sage to do the same. As Link approached her, Epona butted his shoulder, half affectionately and half annoyed as if saying ‘you sure took your time’.

“Sorry girl,” Link said, petting her neck as he rested his head against her long nose. She forgave him quickly. Glancing over at Zikan, Link was pleased to see the soldier also bonding with his horse. After apologising to Sage for abandoning her, Zikan turned his attention to Lake Hylia. It was yet another beautiful sight that he had never seen before and it caught his breath. Used to only the river that ran past his town, Zikan had never seen such a large body of water in once place before. It was glorious, sparkling in the brilliant sunlight that the chilly day offered.

Link laughed at his awe, walking over to his side and nudging his shoulder against Zikan’s. “Impressive, isn’t it?”

“It’s beautiful. Lota would have loved to have come here.”

“I’m sorry she didn’t get the chance,” Link said softly, not sure whether that was the right thing to say.

“Me too,” was all Zikan said. They fell silent for a short while, staring out at the scenic view, both lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Zikan broke it. “Can we stay here for a bit? I’d like to sketch the view.”

Link agreed without hesitation. He didn’t even know where to start on tracking down the men Zikan was after. Sure, Gerudo Valley would be their best bet, but the men had likely long since cleared out. The heavy rain and the passing of several days would have washed away their tracks, making following them impossible. Besides, Lake Hylia put him at ease, seemingly washing away his troubles and making Link realise the world wasn’t all that bad. It seemed like it might have been doing the same for Zikan, too, and the young man deserved some peace.

They decided to spend the night. It was perhaps a little under two hours until twilight after all and Link wanted to avoid travelling through the night as much as possible. Hyrule might be safer these days without Ganondorf’s influence but the monsters still roamed more at night than they ever did during the day.

As if to prove him wrong, a lone keese started to make its way over. Without missing a beat, Link nocked an arrow and sent it flying towards the monster, sending it hurtling towards the lake.

“Do you ever feel bad?” Zikan asked as he watched it splash.

“I feel bad for every life I take,” Link admitted. “But that doesn’t stop the fact that they are monsters and they will kill us if we don’t beat them to it.”

“That’s how I feel about them,” Zikan admitted, his voice so quiet Link had to strain to hear. He didn’t need to ask who Zikan meant; the young soldier had one sole mission since Link had met him. “They raided the village,” Zikan continued. “It was obviously planned because they did it during a meeting about the coronation when the village was vastly under-protected.”

The news made Link feel sick. He hadn’t heard anything about it. Zelda hadn’t told him that part; maybe she hadn’t wanted to make him feel bad for not being there to protect the people?

“I wasn’t there to protect her… She tried to fight back but…” Zikan had tears streaming down his face now that he didn’t even try and hide. He just stared out into the lake, not finishing his sentence. He didn’t have to. Link understood and it made his blood boil. He got it now. Got why Zikan was so hellbent on finding these men and making them pay.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Link said, his fingers twitching as he debated reaching out to… To what? Squeeze Zikan’s arm? Take his hand? Hug him?

“It is!” Zikan snapped, eyes blazing although his anger was clearly directed at himself and not Link. “Maybe not… _that_. But then I left her alone. I went to get vengeance when she begged me to stay. I got locked up for fighting and when I finally got home…” Link wasn’t sure whether he couldn’t bring himself to finish or whether it was because he was crying too much to do so. Either way, Zikan stopped there, his shoulders shaking.

Link was speechless. What was he meant to say? No words could make this better for Zikan and it seemed _wrong_ somehow to even try. He couldn’t do _nothing_ though. Link reached out, hesitant at first but when Zikan didn’t draw away, he pulled the younger man against him and let him sob into his chest. It was a small comfort, but it was the best Link could do.

Finally, Link fully understood what the Great Fairy had meant when she told Link she had only healed him physically. He hoped she was right, and that time could help heal his pain. It would never go away, Link was certain. Perhaps it could become more bearable, though. Perhaps, as the Great Fairy had suggested, if they stuck together, they could eventually help heal each other.

Until that day, if it ever arrived at all, Link vowed to be the hero again, even if this time he was only saving two people…

Even if one of those people was himself…


	12. Chapter 12

They set off just after sunrise the next day, arriving back at Gerudo Valley mid-morning. As Link had expected, there was no sign of the gang of men they were tracking. With no indication of where they might have been heading, Link asked Zikan to stay close and quiet.

“We’ll speak to the Gerudo,” he told the younger man. “There’s no way they didn’t know about the group of men camped just outside their fortress.”

“Will they talk to us?” Zikan asked.

“They won’t be keen, but they should talk to me,” Link said, although he was uncertain. It had been a few years since he’d visited the Gerudo’s and, while they had made him an honorary member way back when he wasn’t sure whether that still stood. It was their only option unless they wanted to wander the whole of Hyrule aimlessly however and after everything Zikan had said to him the previous night, Link didn’t want to let him down.

It had been a little awkward between the pair, both uncertain whether they should bring up the previous night or not. Neither did, though they both spent a lot of time glancing at the other when they thought they wouldn’t be caught. A few times, one of them would open their mouth to say something but think better of it and instead remain silent, leaving much-needed conversations left unsaid.

As they rounded the corner and Gerudo Fortress came into view, Link finally spoke, but only to say “Welcome to the Thieves’ Hideout.”

As Link had become accustomed to, Zikan gawped.

“Halt, males,” a purple-clad Gerudo called, her spear lowering as she walked over to them. “You are not welcome here.”

Link felt through his pockets, hoping to the gods that he still carried what he was looking for. “Aha!” he announced after a moment. He pulled out a tattered card. “I have this.” Handing it over, he watched as the Gerudo’s eyes narrowed, glancing up to fully scrutinise Link.

“You’re the hero Link?” she asked finally. Apparently, the Gerudo gave out so few honorary memberships that she had been able to figure out his identity without his trademark outfit and fairy. Link nodded, feeling uncomfortable under her intense stare. “You may stay,” she announced finally. “Your friend may not.”

Link shook his head firmly. “He stays with me.”

“Then you both leave.”

“Link, no, it’s fine,” Zikan tried to protest. “I’ll just wait with the horses.”

“I won’t leave you,” Link said stubbornly. “What if they went into the Haunted Wasteland? You’d need to come with me.” That wasn’t the only reason Link didn’t want to leave Zikan alone, but it was certainly the only one he was comfortable voicing.

“Nobody has entered the Haunted Wasteland,” the Gerudo guard said.

“Are you sure?” Link asked. “Do you know anything about those men who were camped by the bridge? We’re looking for them.”

The Gerudo woman sighed, eyeing the two men with irritated as if her day had been perfectly fine before they had come along and disrupted it. “Wait here,” she told them, turning on her heel to march away.

“I can look after myself you know,” Zikan grumbled, giving Link a cold look once they were alone again. “You don’t need to keep me under supervision.”

Guilt flooded Link as he realised that was exactly what he’d been doing. It wasn’t that Link didn’t trust Zikan to be left alone. Zikan had certainly earned Link’s trust over the past week. No, it was more to do with the fact that the dark thoughts that plagued his own mind grew more vicious when in solitude and Link worried Zikan might be the same. While Link was certain Zikan could protect himself from danger, he feared the younger man would be less capable if the threat was the cruelty of his own brain.

“I’m sorry,” Link said. “I didn’t mean to overstep.” Able to see the sincerity in Link’s words, Zikan nodded his head stiffly.

“S‘alright,” he mumbled. “Just don’t keep doing it.”

Before Link could reply, the Gerudo was returning, accompanied by another. Like most Gerudo woman, she wore her hair long and red, but hers was loosely braided, resting on her shoulder. Unlike most of the guards patrolling, this woman wore an outfit of white that brought out the golden tones of her dark skin.

“Vasaaq, Link,” the Gerudo in white said. “I don’t know if you remember me, but we fought while you were freeing the voe carpenters a few years ago. My name is Neaveaf.”

“I do remember you,” Link said. He’d always been good with faces, especially if it was the face of someone he had faced off against. “You fought well.”

“You bested me,” she admitted, only slightly sour. “I believe that wouldn’t happen again. Care to a rematch?”

Link shifted from foot to foot, uncomfortable. He hoped this wouldn’t be a condition to receiving any information the Gerudo might have. “Maybe another day?”

Fortunately, Neaveaf smiled. “I’ll hold you to that, hero. So, Usag here tells me you’re searching for the voe who were rude enough to make camp just outside our fortress? Not friends of yours, I hope?”

Zikan crunched his teeth beside him but allowed Link to answer. “Definitely not.”

“In that case,” Neaveaf said, her smile growing, “I’d be happy to help you both. Walk with me.” She ushered them away from the camp and the still disgruntled looking Usag who hadn’t said a word since her return with Neaveaf. Together they walked back towards the bridge where they had left their horses.

“The voe camped here for a week,” Neaveaf said when they arrived at where the gang’s tent had been pitched. Nothing remained to suggest they had ever been there at all, but it wasn’t the campsite that drew the two men’s attention. Link and Zikan both were having a hard time not gazing at the cliff that nearly killed the younger of the pair. Link felt anger swell within him whenever his gaze drew to it; anger at himself for failing to protect Zikan.

Their behaviour didn’t go unnoticed by Neaveaf. “I heard reports of what happened,” she said, turning to face Zikan. “I am pleased you survived the fall.”

“If you knew about the fight why did you ask if we were their friends?” Zikan’s disgruntled words were met by a roll of the eyes.

“The way of Hylian’s is confusing to us,” the Gerudo woman admitted. “The way of voe even more so.”

“Voe,” Zikan repeated, “is that… men?”

“Yes,” Neaveaf said. “Voe is the Gerudo word we use for man. Vai is used for women. Anyway. Do you wish to discuss our language, or would you like to know what was overheard when the voe finally cleared out?”

Zikan opened his mouth and then closed it again, clearly deciding better against retorting. Neaveaf nodded her approval, hand on hips as she stared Zikan down. “Good,” she said. “So, these voe waited until Link had cleared the area and then packed up camp. They tried – again – to enter the haunted wasteland and were – again – denied. My sources told me they discussed heading towards the Lost Woods instead.”

Link’s eyes widened in horror. “The Lost Woods!? Are they mad?” Neaveaf shrugged with a smile. At Zikan’s confused expression, Link explained: “People who get lost in the Lost Woods turn into monsters. Stalfos, Skull Kids, that sort.”

“But didn’t you grow up there?” Zikan asked.

“I was under the Deku Trees protection.”

“So, your problems solved if they go there, right?” Neaveaf said happily, clapping her dark hands together with a loud jangle as the gold bands around her wrists clashed together. “How about that rematch?”

Zikan’s face drained of colour as Link’s words sunk in. He shook his head. “Link,” he said. “I can’t not know about their fate… I won’t ever… I –”

Link reached out, squeezing his shoulder. Neaveaf arched an eyebrow as she watched them. “It’s okay,” Link said softly. “We’ll go after them. They might have the head start but we have the advantage. I know the forest better than I know the rest of Hyrule. We’ll find them and then…” He trailed off, not finishing his sentence. He didn’t know how it finished. Did it end with Zikan killing them? Could Link allow that to happen? After everything he’d learned, a part of him definitely wanted to kill them all himself; his blood boiled at the thought of everything they’d done to hurt Zikan. That wasn’t the right way to go about it all though and Link didn’t want Zikan to get stuck with the repercussions of murder. Not just the law side of it all, but the long-term effects it would have on the soldier himself. Taking lives stayed with you. Killing monsters was one thing, killing people entirely different. Link hands weren’t clean of blood and it haunted him every day. It was why his dark self tortured him; it was his just deserved. Link didn’t think he could stand by and let Zikan splinter his soul like that.

However, he also couldn’t stand by and let Zikan go without the justice he desperately needed.

“Thank you.” Zikan’s hand found Link’s on his shoulder, resting atop of it as their eyes met each other’s. Link wasn’t sure if it was the intensity of the gaze or the understanding that flickered between them, but his heart started hammering in his chest and his breath caught. His gaze dropped at the same time as Zikan withdrew his hand, almost as if Link’s had burned him.

“We should get going,” Link mumbled, not looking at Zikan. He turned instead to the Gerudo woman, studying him with interest. “Thank you for your help, Neaveaf. I promise I will return for that rematch at some point.”

“You know what,” the woman said slowly, looking between the pair. “This seems interesting. Think I’ll tag along. Wait for me while I fetch my horse.” She said it in such a way that neither man dared voice the arguments building in their throats.


	13. Chapter 13

Neaveaf turned out to be a very chatty travel companion, filling in the awkward silence gaping between Link and Zikan after whatever that moment between them in Gerudo Valley had been. She talked about everything and nothing, rarely pausing for breath or stopping to ask questions. Somehow, it was exhausting. At the same time, however, she was a fascinating person so even if either man had the nerve to ask her to stop, they probably wouldn’t have.

Her constant chatter made the journey seem shorter and, when they stopped for the night, Link was both exhausted and surprised that it was already growing dark around them. 

The Gerudo had been generous enough to send them on their way with food and a tent which Neaveaf set up quickly, efficiently and alone despite multiple offers from both men. Instead, Link set about preparing their evening meal with the help of Zikan who seemed keen to learn. Whatever awkwardness had been between them before evaporated with the challenge of prepping food. Fortunately, Zikan was a good student, remaining attentive and following Link’s instructions. He was a fast learner and it wasn’t long before Link was able to step back and simply supervise as Zikan cooked a stew.

“Like this?” the younger man asked, as he seasoned the diced meat with herbs the Gerudo’s had supplied. Link leaned closer.

“Go easy,” Link said, reaching out to touch Zikan’s hand, stopping him from adding too much salt to the mix. When he looked up, Neaveaf was watching them with a smile on her face. Link drew his hand away, suddenly self-conscious.

The Gerudo woman boomed with laughter, wandering over. “How goes that stew, boys?”

Zikan, completely oblivious to everything outside what he himself was doing, beamed. “It’s going well! I’ve never really cooked anything myself before.”

“In that case, you’re doing wonderfully,” Neaveaf said kindly. She seemed genuine as she peered at the steaming pot above their campfire. “Link must be an excellent teacher.”

“He is,” Zikan agreed wholeheartedly. Link didn’t understand the flip in his stomach at the praise, nor the wink that Neaveaf sent his way when Zikan wasn’t paying attention.

The food, when Zikan dished it up a short while later, was excellent and Zikan was the only one to criticise it, claiming he’d failed to make it as good as Link’s meals.

“Zee,” Link said. “This was your first real attempt at cooking. Believe me, I didn’t cook up something this good until years down the line. You’re a natural.”

Zikan flushed red at the compliment.

Later, when Link was scouting for more firewood, Neaveaf came wandering over, hands in her pockets. Her steps landed silently but it was a bright night, the moon almost full, so Link was able to spot her almost straight away. She’d donned warmer wear since leaving the desert and while Link hadn’t known her well before, he was still struggling to adjust to how different she looked outside of the Gerudo uniform.

“That little voe has been through a lot, hasn’t he?” she asked as she started gathering wood herself. Her help was unnecessary which made Link certain she had ulterior motives for her joining him. Launching straight into a conversation about Zikan only fortified that for him.

“Yes,” Link said a little stiffly. While he didn’t think the Gerudo woman was untrustworthy per se, he still wasn’t entirely certain on her reasoning for joining them on their quest. Until he knew what game the Neaveaf was playing, Link wasn’t keen on opening up.

“Relax,” Neaveaf laughed, entirely unoffended by Link’s tone. “I won’t pry. I simply find it admirable that you’re looking out for him as you are. The pair of you seem quite smitten.”

“Smitten?!” Link’s shoulders stiffened at the use of the word, but Neaveaf took that moment to notice a couple of Stalchildren wandering around a short distance away. A nefarious grin uncurled across her face and she reached for her scimitars with one hand and passed Link her small pile of wood with the other.

“I’ll deal with them,” she declared cheerfully as though she had been hoping to run into some action sooner rather than later. Link didn’t protest. He watched her skip over to them and rolled his eyes when she toyed with them rather than dispose of them straight away.

Neaveaf was an odd one. Link couldn’t work her out.

 _Smitten,_ she’d said. The only time Link would have used that word to describe himself was when he’d once run into a bunch of kittens abandoned in a crate at some market town a long way away from Hyrule. He’d wanted to keep them all, but it hadn’t been practical. Instead, he’d knocked door to door until he’d found homes for each and every one of them.

In a small way that Link would never admit out loud, Zikan did remind him of those lost kittens. But to say he was smitten? No, surely that wasn’t right.

_…Was it?_

Zikan was sketching in his notebook when Link returned to the fire. The hero stood back for a while, watching the younger man. When Zikan drew, he looked so peaceful. Drawing really seemed to offer him a brief reprieve from the unending heartbreak his sisters’ death had brought him. Link hoped it really was the case; Zikan deserved a little peace. He deserved to find happiness again.

Link only realised himself when he heard Neaveaf returning. Clearing his throat to make his presence known, he stepped over to the fire and dropped the kindling.

“That should keep us going,” he said without making eye contact with Zikan. “I’m, uh, going to check on the horses.”

 _Great_. The Gerudo woman had hardly said anything to Link but she had implied plenty and now Link was feeling a cocktail of emotions he couldn’t understand and didn’t want to face. In situations like these, Link was really reminded how he slept through seven years of his life. Seven years that he would never get back; seven years where he missed out on the important experience of growing up and everything that came with it.

“Hey Epona,” he greeted his horse, rubbing her neck. She snorted her greetings, nudging his shoulder with her nose in a hopeful prompt for food. “Yes, I do have apples for you all,” he told her, laughing. He gave Epona hers, smiling fondly as she happily munched it down. “Do you ever miss it just being us?” Link asked her. “It was easier, wasn’t it?” Epona didn’t seem very interested in the conversation, instead sniffing around his pockets in hopes of another apple. Link rolled his eyes. “Don’t be greedy,” he told her playfully, before moving over to the other two horses to feed them.

“He looks really carefree and happy when he’s with his horse,” Neaveaf said casually as she sat down beside the fire. Zikan looked up from his notebook, following her gaze to where Link stood laughing at Epona. “He does talk to her like she understands though.”

“…Who’s to say she doesn’t,” Zikan said. It hadn’t slipped his notice that Link’s eyes always looked either worried or haunted (sometimes even a mixture of both). Seeing him playfully interact with his faithful horse was a refreshing change.

He cast his mind back to the vicious scars he’d seen across Link’s body and wondered whether the hero would ever open up about what he suffered through. It was none of his business and Link didn’t owe him anything, but Zikan had kind of hoped that when he’d admitted his own tragic story, Link might have shared his too. Was that terrible of him? Zikan tried to shake the thought away, lowering his gaze back to his sketchbook.

“Whatcha drawing?” Neaveaf singsonged. Zikan looked up again, irritated. He still didn’t really get why this woman had wanted to join them or why neither he nor Link had protested it. Maybe, he thought, Link had been fed up of travelling alone with him. Perhaps he should stop burdening the hero with his own problems and –

“Stop it,” Neaveaf said, interrupting his chain of thoughts.

“Stop what?”

“It’s written all across your face. You’re doubting yourself.”

“I –” Zikan went to protest but she was right. He was. Link had never been anything but supportive of him. It was stupid to think he was dragging the hero down. Stupid to convince himself he was in the way.

“So, you going to show me your drawings or not?” Neaveaf said lightly, her stern expression melting into a smile.

“Oh. Um,” Zikan looked down at his sketchbook and felt his cheeks flush red as he noticed what – or _whom_ – it was he’d been sketching. Neaveaf didn’t miss a trick and her eyes practically sparkled as she read it across her face.

“You _have_ to show me now!” she declared, holding out her hand expectantly.

Zikan sighed and handed it over. He supposed the reason neither Link or he had fought Neaveaf joining them was that there was something simply… likeable about the Gerudo woman. Zikan didn’t know if it was her bluntness, the fact that she was as open as a book, or something else entirely but while he wanted to be irritated at her intrusion, he couldn’t help but be glad for it.

“These are good,” Neaveaf said, staring down at the pages with a small smile on her face that looked especially mischievous in the flickering firelight. “You’ve captured Link very well.”

“He makes a good subject,” Zikan said nonchalantly, shrugging.

“Are you sure that’s it?” Neaveaf handed the sketchbook back and Zikan closed it, cradling it close to his chest.

“What else would it be?” he asked defensively.

“Who knows,” the Gerudo woman said mysteriously. “I’m gonna catch some Zs. Wake me when it’s my turn to take watch.” With that, she flashed Zikan another easy smile and then vanished into the tent, leaving the young soldier clutching his notebook to his chest, more confused than ever.


	14. Chapter 14

It took them four days to travel across Hyrule field and reach the entrance to the Kokiri forest. It was a simple gap in the forest line, marked by a large hollow log. Link stared at the entrance for a long time, not moving.

“Good memories or bad?” Neaveaf asked, placing her dark, slender fingers on his shoulder and squeezing.

“Both,” Link admitted. Growing up in the forest he’d always been an outsider; the boy without a fairy. While most of the Kokiri children had been nice, Mido and his friends had been relentless tormentors. None of that had ever really bothered Link, however, because he’d had Saria. Saria who had turned out to be a sage and had to leave behind the physical world forever. Leave behind Link.

They hadn’t spoken in years. Link sometimes thought about playing her song, seeing if she answered his call, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. He wondered if she would be disappointed in him for running away, for wanting out of his responsibility as a hero. After all, it wasn’t as if she had any other choice but to be the holy sage of the forest that she had been burdened with.

Link tried to reason that he’d done his time and had paid his price for freedom many times over. Since meeting Zikan, however, Link was doubting himself. By ignoring his sacred duties as a hero, he was letting down people like Zikan. People who needed help. That was wrong, wasn’t it?

“Do you really think they’ll be in the Kokiri forest?” Zikan asked, eyeing the entrance doubtfully.

Link shook his head. “If they know what’s good for them, no. But they might be hiding in the outer forest, where it’s safer. And if they are, the Deku Tree sprout will know. We could search forever and just end up missing them again if we don’t ask.”

“Will the little tree people let us in?” Neaveaf asked sceptically. “I know you grew up there and all, but I hear they’re just as private as the Gerudo are.”

“I think they will,” Link said, but he was doubting himself. Still, the only way to know for sure would be to try. Link took a deep breath, trying to psyche himself up.

“You could wait here?” Zikan suggested though they all knew that without Link they stood no chance of entering the forest.

“I’m fine,” Link said, “but thank you.” He took one more hesitating look towards the hollowed tree trunk and then, with determined strides that didn’t match his confidence, he walked towards it. Zikan and Neaveaf shared a look before following after.

Upon entering the Kokiri city, Link was struck with such a sense of familiarity that it almost knocked him backwards. It had been over five years since he’d last laid eyes on the place he’d grown up and yet nothing had changed. Even the faces of the residence were the same; the Kokiri didn’t age. It made Link wonder how he’d ever thought he was truly one of them.

As when he’d entered the forest when he was seventeen, none of the Kokiri recognised him. Link couldn’t deny that it stung. Having people he knew so well look at him with frigid curiosity, no sparks of recognition in their eyes was hard. He tried not to dwell on it. It wasn’t that they had forgotten he existed, more that they couldn’t comprehend that he’d grown up.

The Kokiri children all stopped to stare as Link led his companions through the forest but none of them approached. None called out to question their arrival.

At the entrance to the forest deities residence was none other than Mido. Link should have guessed. That annoying brat seemed to have existed solely to annoy and hinder Link.

“None of you is supposed to be here,” Mido grumbled without his usual enthusiasm. He had his knees drawn up to his chest as was glaring at the trio from over them.

“We need to speak to the Deku Tree,” Link said.

Mido met his eyes then. “You look familiar,” he said accusingly.

“Of course, I do, dumbass.” Link couldn’t help himself. Perhaps it was because he lost those seven years, or because Mido had always been an insufferable git but Link felt the need to revert into his childhood self, dealing with his tormentor the way a child would.

Mido squinted at him, taking in Link’s scruffy blond hair, his blue eyes and the point to his ears. He stood up abruptly, his eyes growing wide with realisation.

“Worked it out yet?” Link asked, folding his arms across his chest. 

“You’re Link?”

“I am,” Link said.

“You grew up,” Mido said in wonderment.

“I was always gonna. You knew I didn’t fit in, that’s why you were so hard on me right?”

Mido still looked baffled. He stared up at Link until the hero took pity on him and kneeled to Mido’s level. Mido reached out, his small fingers touching Link’s face as if checking he was real. “I didn’t think –” He cut off, not finishing his sentence. “We thought you were dead. Like Saria.”

Link lowered his gaze at mention of Saria. “I’m Hylian,” he said, eyes to the ground. “I was always going to grow up and leave the forest eventually. I just didn’t know it until it all had to happen.”

“You could have come back and explained,” Mido accused, withdrawing his hand and cradling it against his chest as if Link had burned it.

“I did come back briefly,” Link said. Mido frowned, drawing his lips together tightly.

“I remember,” the Kokiri said finally. “You played Saria’s song. I didn’t realise it was you.”

“I’m sorry,” Link said. Somehow, he’d gone from pissed off at the Kokiri bully, to feeling sorry for how lonely he seemed. When Link thought back, he realised that although he and Mido had never been friends, the pair of them and Saria had interacted a lot. Mido had lost them both in a very short time period and never truly understood why.

Because this was Mido, he just ‘humphed’ at Link’s apology, but the small Kokiri’s lips twitched upwards and he stepped out of their way, allowing them past him and to the Deku Tree. Link waved his companions on ahead of him and turned his attention back to Mido.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to return again,” he said. “You know outsiders aren’t meant to enter the forest. But –”

“-It’s fine,” Mido interrupted. “Sheesh. It’s not like we were ever friends. Just didn’t know if you were alive is all,” he grumbled. His lips remained curled upwards, however, showing Link that his indifference wasn’t genuine. Link laughed, flashing his own smile.

“Well, see you around, I guess,” he said. Mido nodded and watched as Link jogged to catch up with his friends.

They entered the clearing together. The Deku Tree sprout had grown in the few years since Link had last seen him. He was nowhere near the majestic tree his predecessor had been, but no longer was he a small sprout, half Link’s size. Now, he was a small tree, reaching the same height as Link, his leaves full and luscious.

“Hello, Link,” he said. “I was wondering if I’d ever meet you again.”

“Hello,” Link said.

“You’ve brought friends too!” the tree said cheerfully.

“You’re not mad that we’re here?” Zikan asked, before flushing with embarrassment as he realised, he’d spoken casually to a deity without permission.

The Deku Tree just laughed. “I love visitors!” he chirped. Link was surprised at how less intimidating the scrub was to the great tree that came before it. “However, the forest is dangerous for you all and it wouldn’t do to linger too long.” Well, that answered Link’s question about whether he’d be able to return. The Great Deku Tree had once protected him but no longer. As sad as it was, it was probably for the best. Link had never really belonged with the Kokiri. He wasn’t sure where he belonged to be honest, although he was starting to feel like that mattered less as long as he had Zikan with him.

“Do you know why we’re here?” Link asked, bottling away any emotions he felt at the knowledge that the forest was no longer safe for him.

“I would assume you are searching for the men trespassing on my borders,” the tree said.

“Yes,” Link replied. “Can you tell us where they are?”

“I can,” the tree replied. “It would be wise for them to be removed. While they are on the outskirts, the longer they spend in the forest the more they lose of themselves. Many more days and they will become one with the forest.” If it wasn’t for the fact that Zikan clearly needed closure, Link would almost think that would be better. As it stood right now, Link was afraid what he might do when faced with the men who had almost killed the soldier and had hurt his sister as they had. Right now, he kind of wanted to kill them himself.

“I don’t think revenge will bring you the peace you desire,” the Deku Tree said. Link wasn’t sure whether he said it to Zikan or himself. Maybe to both of them. “Sometimes revenge just leaves you feeling emptier.”

Link heard Zikan grind his teeth together beside him. “Just tell us where they are and leave out the morality pep talk.”

When the Deku Tree had given them what they wanted to know and they were about to leave, the tree asked to speak to Link alone.

“If you really want to protect the Hylian boy, don’t allow him to sully his hands, Link,” the tree said once they were alone. “You understand the burden of taking life. It’s a heavy one.”

“He won’t listen to me,” Link said. Zikan was stubborn. If he set his mind to something, he would follow through and there was nothing Link could do about it.

“Actually, I think you might be the only person he _will_ listen to.” Link wasn’t sure what he was meant to take from that, but the tree seemed not to want to enlighten him. “I believe you understand, but you shouldn’t return here. Unlike my predecessor, I currently don’t have the power to protect you from the forest. The Triforce of courage won’t protect you from turning into a monster if you spend too much time in my land. Now, leave, Link and consider what the right thing to do is.”

Effectively dismissed, Link bowed his head in goodbye and left to join his friends. The Deku Trees words swam around in his head, haunting him as he tried to riddle out just _what_ the right thing to do really was.


	15. Chapter 15

The men they sought were at the edge of the forest nearest Zora Domain. Link couldn’t help but think they were just doing loops around Hyrule and were possibly never going to catch up. A part of him actually didn’t mind the idea of it. He was growing to enjoy life on the road with Zikan. Even Neaveaf had grown on him and become part of their strange little family. The idea of catching up to the gang and subsequently going their own way after was, quite frankly, terrifying.

Link tried not to think about it.

Instead, he gave a lot of thought to what everyone who witnessed Zikan and him together seemed to imply. While she hadn’t brought it up again since Neaveaf had done more than imply. She had outrightly said that Link was ‘smitten’.

Link hadn’t wanted to think it true. It was a confusing thought that he didn’t know what to do with. When he considered that he wasn’t ready to part ways, that he just wanted to protect and stay with Zikan for as long as possible… it was becoming easier to see the truth in the words. It didn’t make it any less terrifying but accepting that maybe it was true did bring him a certain peace. Somehow, it made it easier being around the young soldier. While it was easier knowing however, it made his heart ache all the more for that knowledge.

Even if he was sure that it was what he wanted, Link couldn’t and _wouldn’t_ act on it though. Zikan had enough on his mind without Link burdening him with more. Burdening him with feelings that quite clearly weren’t reciprocated in any way was simply not the right thing to do. And that was fine. Link didn’t mind. He wasn’t looking for love, anyway. He just wanted a quiet life away from the spotlight. Never in any of his fantasies had he found love. It was always just him in a quiet shack by the river. Sometimes he imagined a cat or two. Maybe a dog. Something to keep him company. Something that wasn’t a person. It would be easier that way. Less risky.

Link still hadn’t forgotten how he’d almost attacked Zikan in his sleep. He stayed awake as much as possible these days to avoid such an occurrence happening again. If his companions had noticed, they’d not mentioned anything. When Link finally did succumb to sleep, he was so exhausted that he just slept. There was no tossing and turning, no bad dreams that he could recall and, most importantly, no attacking anyone while he wasn’t with it enough to know what he was doing.

It took them two days to reach the location the Deku Tree told them about.

On the last night, when they knew that one way or another their mission should hopefully come to an end, Neaveaf produced a mysterious bottle from her pack.

“Alcohol!” she said happily.

“No,” Link said.

“Boo, you’re no fun,” the Gerudo complained. “Kid, you’re in, right?”

“Not a kid,” Zikan grumbled but his heart wasn’t in it. He’d gotten used to Neaveaf calling him kid and, since realising that it didn’t mean she respected him any less, had stopped growling his protests with enough ferocity to send a lesser person running back home. As it stood, Neaveaf had only ever laughed and ruffled his hair, annoying Zikan even more.

Zikan eyed the bottle sceptically, glancing at Link from the corner of his eye. “I guess I’ll have a little,” he decided finally.

Neaveaf clapped him on the back so hard he stumbled. “That’s the spirit!”

Once upright again, Zikan once more glanced at Link but the hero was busy pretending to be immersed with picking dirt from beneath his nails. With no indication of whether Link approved or not, Zikan took a deep swig from the bottle Neaveaf offered. It burned his throat as it went down, causing him to cough and splutter, waving his hand frantically in front of his face as if trying to push air into his lungs.

“Easy,” Neaveaf laughed, slapping his back again, a little gentler this time. “Haven’t you ever drunk before?”

“Of course,” he protested, too quickly. Zikan had drunk the occasional ale before but whatever hard liquor Neaveaf was plying with him was new and not particularly pleasant. Still, once he’d calmed his breathing, he took another, smaller sip before handing her back the bottle. He watched, impressed, as she seemed to drain half the flask without consequence, making an ‘ahh’ noise of enjoyment afterwards.

“Sure I can’t tempt you, Link?” she asked, waving the flask in front of the hero’s face until he looked up. Link shook his head.

“I’m not opposed to drinking,” he said when Neaveaf booed him again. “But I want to keep a clear head. We’re only a couple of hours away from some dangerous men.” Guilt washed over Zikan as he realised that was true. He waved the flask away when Neaveaf offered again, but thanks to his lack of experience drinking, his two swigs was enough to leave him feeling light, his head slightly muddled in a not altogether unpleasant way. He found himself becoming more talkative than usual, laughing with Neaveaf as she chatted away in her usual fashion.

Link was especially quiet and, when he wandered away from the fire to see the horses, Zikan found his good mood dropping.

“Oh, to be young again,” Neaveaf said playfully, despite the fact that she was only a few short years older than Link herself.

“What?” Zikan tore his eyes away from the hero, confused.

“Nothing, lovely.” She flashed him a smile, eyes twinkling. Before Zikan could question her further she changed the subject. “What happens after tomorrow? You gonna go back to being a Royal Guard?”

“If they’ll take me, I guess that’s the plan,” Zikan said, shrugging. He hadn’t given much thought to what came _after_. At one point he hadn’t even wanted there to be an after. Link had changed that and now Zikan felt like there might be a point to everything after all.

Neaveaf arched an eyebrow. “Okay then.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Seriously, don’t do that. I hate that. _What_?”

The Gerudo glanced over at Link briefly before looking back to Zikan. “You seemed like you’d gotten a taste for it, is all.”

“A taste for what?”

“Adventure. Travelling,” Neaveaf said.

“Oh.” She was right. Despite everything else in his life, these past few weeks since meeting Link had been… dare he think it? _Good_. He’d always wanted to see Hyrule, maybe even go beyond and, while the reasons for his travelling might have been negative it didn’t detract from the fact that he’d started enjoying himself. The world was beautiful and Zikan hated that he’d taken so long to see it. Link had said he’d wanted to give it up, find a place to settle down. Zikan couldn’t understand that. Now that Neaveaf had mentioned it, the soldier realised he had itchy feet and a longing to keep travelling, maybe forever. Suddenly the idea of returning to guarding Hyrule castle day and night seemed so dull. Almost like he’d be trapped in that prison cell he’d been stuck in when Zota had –

Zota would want him to do what he loved, not end up trapped and miserable. The problem was, Zikan couldn’t see himself travelling without Link. Yet, whatever had happened to the hero had quenched the passion that was now budding in Zikan.

He found his gaze flickering back to Link, who seemed to be talking to Epona softly as he fed her an apple.

“Stop denying yourself the things you want,” Neaveaf said softly. It took Zikan a moment to drag his gaze away from Link and by the time he’d turned back to the fire, the Gerudo’s head had dropped to her chest and she was gently snoring. Zikan leaned forward, gently prying the bottle from her hands. He’d meant to put it away but instead, he took another swig for courage before tucking it back into Neaveaf’s bag. 

Then, before he couldn’t change his mind, he walked over to Link.

“Can I ask you a question?” Zikan asked.

“Of course.” Link pet Epona one last time before turning to face his companion. It was a dark night and Zikan’s face was cast in shadows, although his green eyes seem to shine almost like a cat.

“What happens after tomorrow?”

“What do you mean?” Link asked, although his shoulders tensed as if he knew exactly what the soldier was asking.

“I mean, do you just dump me back in Kakariko village and go on your way?”

“Of course not!” Link looked hurt at the very notion.

“Do you still just want to find a house somewhere where you won’t be bothered and stop travelling?” Zikan wasn’t sure what was happening. He didn’t know what he’d been planning to say when he spoke to Link, but it certainly hadn’t been heated accusations.

“I –” Link looked flabbergasted, clearly as surprised at Zikan’s outburst as the soldier was himself. “I guess that’s still my plan.”

For some reason that just wound Zikan up even more. “You can’t really want that life! The world is so beautiful, why would you want to limit yourself to such a small part of it?”

“I’ve seen the world, Zikan. I’ve done that. Now I just want peace. I want a life where I don’t get sent off on random missions and almost die!”

“You mean like being sent to babysit random angry Hylians?”

“Yeah like that,” Link snapped. As soon as the words were out of his mouth it was obvious he regretted them. It was too late though, and Zikan couldn’t help the prickling in his eyes. He was really starting to regret drinking now.

“Why are you even still here then, Link?”

Link blinked, his expression a mixture of sorrow and confusion. “…You still need saving,” he said softly.

“I don’t need anything from you.” Turning on his heels, Zikan stalked away. He was so angry, although most of it was directed at himself. Where had that come from? Why did he always have to ruin everything? Link hadn’t deserved that outburst. The hero had been nothing but good to Zikan during their time together. Hell, he’d even gone out of his way to save Zikan when he’d been stupid and almost gotten himself killed. Link had stayed with him even when he hadn’t had to, even when Zikan had been rude and unappreciative.

Zikan kicked a random stone as he briskly walked away from camp. He wasn’t sure where he was going and knew that it was probably unwise to storm off alone in the middle of the night, especially when his head was still slightly foggy from the alcohol and his emotions were all over the place from his unexpected fight with Link. Despite that, he didn’t want to be around Link right now. He couldn’t face owning up to how childish he had just been, and he didn’t want to think about why the outburst had happened in the first place.

He was such an idiot. He’d been so afraid of Link leaving him behind that he’d caused it to happen himself. There was no way the hero would want to hang around now. Because it was the type of person Link was, he’d see through the next day and however Zikan wanted to handle dealing with the men who’d attacked his sister. After that, though, he was sure to leave. Why would Link want to stay with someone who shouted at him for no reason?

Zikan had just screwed everything over. Himself most of all.

At some point, he realised he’d been walking aimlessly for quite a while. It was still perfectly dark out, making it hard to judge where their camp was set. Zikan groaned, cursing himself all the more. Now not only had he ruined everything, but he was lost, too.

 _Great_ , how could things get any worse?

“Well, well, well, what have we here?” 

…


	16. Chapter 16

Zikan had been gone for too long. Despite every inch of him screaming to follow as the younger man had stormed off, Link hadn’t. He’d wanted to give Zikan space, allow him too cool off and figure out what had been bothering him. But now, over an hour had passed and there was still no sign of him. It was the middle of the night and monsters still lurked Hyrule. While Link believed Zikan was plenty capable of looking after himself, he also believed that the young soldier was currently not thinking straight as he stormed through the dark night.

Link wasn’t really sure what had happened between them. He’d tried to break it down, figure out if he’d said or done something wrong but the only explanation he could come up with was that Zikan just needed someone to be angry with right now. If all went to plan, he would finally be able to claim the closure he desperately desired. That had to be terrifying. When one lives for something, the idea of that something going away is a scary thought. The fear of what comes after, the not knowing… No wonder Zikan had been scared.

Link really shouldn’t have let him wander off alone.

Glancing over at Neaveaf gently snoring by the dimming fire, Link briefly contemplated waking her. Instead, he spotted Zikan’s notebook and decided to leave her a note just in case she woke while they were gone. Picking up the leather-bound book, Link flicked it open, his eyes widening as he was met with an impressive sketch of himself. He couldn’t help but stare at it, taking in all the minor details, like the softness of his eyes and the scar across his eyebrow, the way his lips were curved into a half-smile… It was a good drawing, a good likeness.

Link flicked through the notebook, expecting to find similar sketches of Neaveaf, and maybe other people Zikan knew. Instead, many of the pages were filled with sketches of Link. Sometimes Epona made the cut too, but more often than not it was just Link in different poses, with different expressions across his face, drawn by somebody who really _saw_ him.

Link couldn’t stop staring. His chest felt a mixture of heavy and light at the same time. He felt both moved and confused. One or two sketches of Link could just be written off as Zikan liking to use models for his art but almost an entire sketchbook filled with him? That seemed to suggest so much more.

When Neaveaf had told Link that he was smitten with the young soldier, she had failed to mention that it went both ways. No wonder Zikan had become so frustrated at the thought of Link leaving him behind.

Ripping free a blank piece of paper, Link scribbled a quick note for Neaveaf and placed it under her flask where she would hopefully quickly spot it should she wake and find herself alone. Then, with one last glance at the notebook he’d placed carefully back with Zikan’s things, Link took off into the darkness, determined to find Zikan and make it clear to the young soldier that, as long as Zikan would have him, he wasn’t going anywhere.

Link had always had very keen senses, so travelling through the dark was easier for him than for others. That said, he was surprised by how far Zikan had obviously travelled. Fortunately, the soldier had left tracks, so Link didn’t need to worry about travelling in the wrong direction.

It took Link over half an hour of following Zikan’s tracks before he finally heard voices. He stilled, instantly alert and reached for his sword. Moving with easy stealth, he crept closer to the sounds of talking until he could finally see them through the gloom.

Five men stood in a circle, armed to the teeth and, in the centre, leaning heavily on his sword and panting for breath was Zikan. From the way many of his attackers were holding themselves, Zikan had clearly been putting up a good fight. He was tiring though and, as Link watched, another man stepped forward, swinging his sword only for Zikan’s block to be sloppy. The young soldier cried out as the blade caught him, drawing blood.

They were toying with him, Link realised, like a cat would with a caught mouse. They were enjoying the thrill of having Zikan caught and slowly wearing him down. They were purposely taking their time, draining his energy until he had none left to fight with. And then… Link didn’t even want to consider what they planned then.

With a furious yell, he ran at them, pushing through and blocking another attack as a sword glistened down, ready to hurt a too tired to defend Zikan. The two blades met with a deafening crash.

“L-Link?” Zikan asked between pants. His face was bruised and streaked with blood but fortunately, none of his injuries looked fatal.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Link said, before pushing back on the man’s sword with enough force to make him stumble.

All around him, the men had started whispering. “Did he say Link?”

“As in the hero?”

“Shit. We should –”

“Let’s –”

“Nobody is going anywhere,” Link’s voice boomed out, full of rage; how dare these men hurt Zikan. He wasn’t going to let them run away in fear after everything they’d done. Still, a couple of them looked like they were contemplating running. “Go on then,” Link said coldly. “Try your luck. See just how far you get.”

“What he said,” another voice chipped in and suddenly Neaveaf was stepping into view, eyes burning with fury.

“Five against three, with one of you barely able to stand?” the man Link recognised as the one to knock Zikan over the cliff edge at Gerudo valley said. “I’ll take those odds.” His sword moved so quickly Link almost missed it. He managed to meet it in the air above his head but was foolish in not questioning why he’d swung with only one arm. As steel clashed steel, something sharp pierced Link’s side. Link grunted in pain, coughing a spray of blood into the man’s face.

“Link!” With newfound energy and a warrior yell of fury, Zikan punched the man in the face hard enough that Link heard a snap as his nose broke. He stumbled backwards, his sword clattering to the floor. Only one of his men moved to help, but Neaveaf stepped in his way, smiling pleasantly as she asked,

“Where do you think you’re going?” Before he could reply, her elbow had found his gut, doubling him over winded. Despite being smaller than him, she grabbed his neck, choking him out until he slumped unconsciously into her arms. She dropped him to the floor with as little care as possible. “Who’s next?”

Nobody moved.

Zikan, meanwhile, had brought the blade of his own sword to the throat of the gang’s leader.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” Zikan said, pressing his blade harder against the man’s throat.

“Honestly, kid,” the man choked out, “I have no idea what it is you keep trying to accuse me of.”

“My sister,” Zikan growled, though his voice wobbled slightly, and his eyes brimmed with tears. “Does Kakariko village ring any bells?”

“Oh.” The man smiled, revealing bloody teeth. “ _Now_ I know. Didn’t want to get her own vengeance then? Sent a kid after me instead. How disappointing.”

Zikan pulled his sword aside punched the man in the face again. His head rolled to the side and he spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. “She’s dead, you arsehole,” Zikan said roughly, his tears flowing freely now.

“That so?” The man opened his jaw wide, moving it around until it clicked. “Shame. She was hot.” He started to laugh then.

This time when Zikan drove his fist into the man’s face he didn’t stop. He pulled it back and continued to pummel him until he wasn’t laughing any more.

One of his men stepped forward but Neaveaf put her hand on his shoulder in warning. “The kids gonna kill him,” the man protested.

“Sounds to me like he deserves it,” the Gerudo said in return.

“I’m not going to kill him,” Zikan said between gritted teeth, slamming his bloody knuckles into the man's face one final time and earning a low moan from the barely conscious man. “That would be too kind.”

The man gurgled something, blood bubbling on his fat lip and Zikan punched him once more, rendering him unconscious. Then, panting heavily, the young soldier hauled himself up and turned to Link, who had been watching him. Leaning to one side, a hand pressed against his wound, Link seemed otherwise fine.

“Are you okay?” Zikan asked, stumbling over to Link and almost crashing into him. The hero let go of his wounded side to catch him.

“I should ask _you_ that,” Link said softly, his eyes scanning the bruised and bloody man worriedly.

Although two out of their three opponents were currently too injured to chase them, the three gang members still on their feet didn’t try to run. Apparently, they had enough sense to know they wouldn’t get away and, if they somehow did, they would be hunted down until they were caught. Better to go quietly and receive a lesser punishment for their crimes.

“I’m fine,” Zikan said, wincing. “I’m just… I’m sorry! I didn’t mean anything I said earlier, I just… I was scared and stupid and –”

Before Zikan could continue listing how incompetent he was, Link leaned forward and brushed his lips against the soldiers. It was a chaste kiss, short and sweet and left Zikan blinking in quick succession, his mouth open in surprise as if Link had short-circuited him.

“Sorry!” Link spluttered out, his cheeks quickly growing red. “Sorry, I –”

“Oh, you two are too cute!” Neaveaf was there suddenly, standing between them and slapping them both on the back, twisting her face in apology as they both winced. “Think we need to get these fellas tied up and dealt with first though, don’t you? What’s the plan, boss?”

Zikan seemed eternally grateful for the distraction. Eyes flickering quickly away from Link, he hesitated as he looked between the five men, two of which were still unconscious. “I was thinking we could take them to Hyrule castle. Have the queen punish them as she sees fit.”

Neaveaf nodded approvingly, clearly as surprised as she was impressed.

An hour later they were back at camp, their prisoners all awake and tied in a chain behind the horses, ready to be escorted back to the castle. Link and Zikan’s wounds had been minor enough to be healed with fairies. While Link’s stab wound hadn’t healed completely, it had been progressed to its final stages and was simply a little tender to the touch. Soon it would be just another scar to add to his ever-growing collection. Fortunately, in their circuit of Hyrule, the showdown had occurred as close to Hyrule castle as the forest reached. Setting off at first light, Link was certain they would make it before night fell. He didn’t want to be responsible for prisoners during the night.

Link worried his bottom lip until it started bleeding as they travelled. He couldn’t believe how wrong he’d been about Zikan. After seeing his notebook, Link had been sure the younger man felt the same but now Zikan wouldn’t even look at him. Had he blown it completely? Link himself hadn’t even been certain of his feelings until recently but now… Now he was sure. During their journey together, Link had fallen in love with him. He’d felt a connection with Zikan that he’d never had with another or, at least, he’d thought he had. If Zikan didn’t feel the same then did that mean Link had imagined the connection? Maybe, because they were two lost souls, both searching for freedom from the torment of their own cruel minds, Link had read too much into something that simply wasn’t there?

Or, maybe, Link did love Zikan but the other man would never love him back.

Maybe Link was just destined to be alone.

Perhaps that was better. Link wasn’t safe to be around after all. Zikan might have faced his demons but Link’s still haunted him.

After all, how could you escape when the one you were running from was yourself?


	17. Chapter 17

An audience with queen Zelda was arranged straight away, leaving Link, Zikan and Neaveaf very little time to talk before they were summoned to the throne room. Their prisoners had been escorted straight down to the dungeons upon arrival at the castle.

Link had opened his mouth to say something to Zikan, to try and make it better between them, but the soldier had averted his green eyes and angled his body away, his arms wrapped protectively around him. Link hadn’t tried again.

Neaveaf watched the pair silently, her lips pursed in a frown. She looked like she wanted to bash their heads together but was resisting because of the guard that stood watch at the door.

When they were summoned into the throne room, the queen was pacing in front of her throne. Link was reminded that he’d originally returned to Hyrule to watch her coronation – now over two weeks passed – and had never meant to be gone so long. Zelda was sure to have been worried. Just another thing for Link to feel guilty about.

“Oh, thank Gods,” Zelda said as her eyes met Link’s. She stepped forward, towards him. Next to Link, Zikan tensed. “When nobody had seen you –” She cut off abruptly, remembering himself. She was the queen now and it wouldn’t do for her to be so openly worried about her subjects.

Straightening her shoulders, the queen relaxed into a regal posture. “I’m glad you are all safe,” she said. “Zikan, I –”

“I am sorry to interrupt, your majesty,” Zikan said coldly. A collective gasp sounded from the royal guards. Interrupting the queen was unheard of. “I was hoping to return home before it gets too late. I just wanted to make sure the men we captured would be suitably punished.”

For her credit, Zelda seemed unbothered by Zikan’s bluntness. She smiled softly at her young guard. “Of course. Their leader will be sentenced to death and his followers will not see the outside of a prison cell for a long time.”

“Good,” Zikan said. Link noticed his hands were curled tightly into fists.

“I insist that you all spend the night in the castle,” Zelda continued. “I know that you are eager to get home, Zikan, but you are weary from your travels and it is late. Allow me to provide meals and a roof for you all tonight at least. It must have been a long time since you’ve eaten a real meal.”

As if agreeing with her words, Link’s stomach rumbled. He rubbed his neck sheepishly, and Zelda gave a small laugh.

Zikan looked as if he wanted to argue with the queen but Neaveaf laid a hand on his shoulder, sending him a look that told him not to push his luck.

“That sounds wonderful, your majesty. Thank you,” Neaveaf said, bowing.

“And who are you?” Zelda asked kindly. “I don’t believe we’ve met?”

“Neaveaf, your majesty. I am a general in the Gerudo army.”

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Neaveaf.”

“Likewise,” Neaveaf said.

“Dayru,” Zelda said to a guard to her right. “Please show Zikan and Neaveaf to their rooms. I assume you are all weary from your travels and would prefer food to be sent to you, although I can organise a feast if you wish?”

“Our rooms will be perfect, thank you, your majesty,” Neaveaf said. Zelda smiled at her, before turning her attention to Link.

“Link, I was hoping I could talk to you before you retire for the night?”

“Oh. Yeah, of course,” Link said, slightly dreading what the queen might ask of him. It wasn’t exactly unknown to him that she hoped he would join her royal guard. Malon had even told him that she’d heard Zelda wanted to make him a knight. Link had hoped he’d have longer to come up with a polite excuse.

As Zikan and Neaveaf were led out of the throne room, Zikan finally caught Link’s eyes. There was something in the young soldiers’ green eyes that Link couldn’t decipher. He thought it might be hurt. Link looked down at the floor, guilt eating away at him although he wasn’t sure why.

Zelda excused her guards, too, until it was just the pair of them. Then, she marched up to Link, eyes narrowed dangerously and jabbed him in the shoulder with her index finger.

“I was worried about you, you arse,” she snapped. “I sent you out on what was meant to be a simple mission, expecting you back before my coronation. Instead, you’re gone for weeks without a word!”

Link had almost forgotten that during the war Zelda had posed as Sheik, a Sheikah spy so unlike a princess that it been bound to have affected her royal demeanour.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Things took a… turn?” He rubbed the back of his neck again.

“Just send word next time. Anyone in Karakiro village would have delivered a note.” Link nodded sheepishly, embarrassed that he hadn’t even considered doing so. “So,” the queen said, nudging her shoulder against Link’s in a way not befitting of someone of her status. “What’s going on between you and Zikan? I saw some tension then. I think the whole kingdom did, actually.”

Link looked up again, startled. It had been years since he’d properly interacted with Zelda and yet here she was acting like they were good friends. It was nice, of course, but very unexpected. It was definitely not the way a queen should address any of her subjects, _even_ the chosen hero of time. For as long as Link had known her, Zelda had done things her way though. Being queen of Hyrule clearly hadn’t changed anything.

“It’s just been a long journey,” Link said quietly in answer. The only person he wanted to discuss his relationship with Zikan with was Zikan himself.

“Just as quiet and private as always, I see,” Zelda said, pouting. “Okay, keep your secrets. I’m just glad you’re okay. Both of you. Go on, then. One of the guards outside will take you to your room. All three of you are in the same corridor. You and Zikan have adjoining rooms. You’re welcome.” Zelda winked, laughing as Link felt his cheeks burn.

“I don’t know what you're implying,” he stuttered bashfully, turning to hurry from the room. Link paused by the doors; his hand reached for the handle. “Is that it then?” he asked, not turning to face her. “You’re not going to ask me to stay or anything?”

“Not tonight,” Zelda said. “I might half-heartedly try my luck when you come to say you’re leaving but I’m not a fool, Link. I know you don’t want this life.”

Link remained silent for a long few seconds. Finally, he twisted his head, flashing her a small, grateful smile. “Thank you, princess.”

“That’s queen to you,” she teased. “Now go. Get some sleep. Or don’t.”

Link left quickly, the blood still pooling his cheeks.

Close to his room, Link spied an open door that caught his attention. Once the guard had left him, he doubled back, smiling a little as he clicked the door shut behind him.

Threading his fingers together, Link stretched his arms out, clicking all his joints.

“Time to get to work,” he said to himself. After the stress of everything, this was exactly what he needed…


	18. Chapter 18

Zikan saw Link slip out of his room again moments after being led into it. Despite his better judgement, curiosity won over and he ended up following Link. He didn’t know what he’d do if he ended up following the hero to Zelda’s room. Then again, maybe that would be all he deserved. Link had kissed him and he’d just… seized up. Then, because he was confused and embarrassed, he hadn’t even been able to look at Link.

He’d probably ruined everything.

Link slipped through an open door and clicked it shut behind him. Zikan hesitated. He didn’t know the castle well, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t somebody’s bedroom. In fact, it was more likely to be a storage cupboard or the sorts but why would Link –

_SMASH!_

Instantly alert, Zikan reached for the handle just as another smash sounded. When Zikan threw open the door, Link stood with a ceramic pot held over his head like he was about to throw it.

The two men stared at each other in silence.

Finally, Zikan said, “Uh, what are you doing?”

Link lowered the pot sheepishly. “Smashing things,” he admitted.

“Why? Did things go badly with the queen?”

Link looked surprised at that, as if it took him a moment to figure out that Zikan thought he was destroying the place in a fit of rage. “What? No! It’s just something I like to do to, I dunno, blow off steam? It’s really satisfying. Here –” Link practically thrust the pot he was holding into Zikan’s arms. “Try it.”

Zikan looked down at the pot and back at Link hesitantly.

“Don’t worry. In the small chance that Zelda finds out and is annoyed, I’ll take full responsibility.”

Zikan wasn’t sure if it was Link’s assurance or the fact that his words seemed to further imply that there was something between the hero and his queen but, either way, he threw the pot at the wall. Zikan was unable to contain his small laugh as he watched the pot smash into little pieces and scatter the floor.

“See,” Link said, grinning. For a moment it was normal between them again. For a moment neither of them was thinking about the kiss or the awkwardness that followed it. “It’s cathartic.” Without moving, Link swiped his hand behind a pot balanced on the edge of the table he stood next to. It fell to the floor with a satisfying smash. Link’s smile grew and he bent down, picking up something. When he held it up, Zikan spotted a glisten blue gem: a rupee. “And sometimes they have money stashed away in them!”

“You’re really going to keep that?” Zikan arched a sceptical eyebrow. Technically that rupee belonged to the queen.

“Of course,” Link said. “Finders keepers,” he practically singsonged. Zikan let him have it, after all, Hyrule owed Link that and then some.

For a few minutes, the pair returned to smashing pots in silence other than the occasional laugh or cheer. Finally, when they’d broken most of them, Zikan leaned back against the nearest wall to watch Link.

“What?” Link said, not turning around. He really didn’t miss a trick, did the hero of time.

“It’s nice seeing you happy,” Zikan said. Their eye contact held for a lingering moment before Zikan glanced away, feeling his face heat up. “Listen, um… I’m sorry. I screwed up and, uh –”

“Hey,” Link interrupted. “You have nothing to apologise for. I’m the one who acted out of line. I shouldn’t have assumed –”

“-You didn’t assume anything,” Zikan said quickly. “You were right. But you just, I dunno, caught me by surprise. It was,” here Zikan looked down, almost as if he were embarrassed, “my first kiss.”

“Mine too,” Link said. Zikan looked up sharply, disbelief written across his face.

“No way,” he said. “Girl’s are always showing interest in you.”

“And that’s the problem,” Link said. “They’re girls. I’ve never felt that way about a girl… Not knowingly.”

“Not knowingly?” Zikan’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“Sheik,” Link said. “I mean, I don’t think it was real. I’d just skipped seven years of my life and was confused and busy saving the world. But Sheik definitely made me feel something I hadn’t before, and I found myself excited for him to turn up.”

“And then it was revealed he was Zelda all along,” Zikan said softly.

“At first I didn’t think it would matter,” Link agreed. “I liked Sheik for who he was, so surely the fact that he was actually Zelda didn’t matter. But whatever feelings were there just vanished. I don’t mind, like I said, it wasn’t really _anything._ Just a confused boys first crush. But after that, while I was travelling, I started to realise that I never felt that way about any of the girls who showed interest in me.”

“And there was me feeling jealous of Malon and the queen,” Zikan said. “God, I’m such an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot,” Link said. Then, “Were you really jealous?”

“Definitely.”

“Hm,” was all Link said. He turned away from Zikan to survey the damage they had caused to the room, his lips twitching at the mess. Finally, he turned back to Zikan. “You needn’t be jealous. Zelda has zero interest me in either. In fact, she was teasing me about you. Apparently, I’m pretty transparent.”

“She was teasing you about me?”

“Yeah. Come on, let’s go back to our rooms so we can talk comfortably.”

They made their way to Link’s room, where the hero flopped down on the grand bed, revelling in the softness of it after sleeping rough for so long. Thanks to the kind of life he’d lived, he wasn’t used to sleeping in comfort but that didn’t mean he turned his nose up at it when it was offered. Zikan hesitated at the door for a lingering moment before spotting a chair and perching on the edge of that. Link arched his eyebrow but didn’t question him.

“So, what now?” Zikan asked.

“I don’t know,” Link said. He chewed his lip and glanced around the room. If he accepted Zelda’s offer to join her royal guard, he could live in a room like this. He shook the thought away quickly; grandeur wasn’t him. He could get used to the food though – he spotted that a tray had been left on the table near Zikan and heard his stomach rumble again.

Slipping off the bed, Link walked over to the table and lifted the cover revealing an array of delicious-looking foods. “Hungry?” he asked Zikan.

Zikan shook his head. “There’s probably food in my room.”

“So? Look how much food is here! I’ll never eat it all.” That was a lie, but he wanted to share. He wasn’t ready for Zikan to leave.

They sat in silence eating for a while, stealing glances when they didn’t think the other was looking. Occasionally their eyes would lock, and they would smile, glancing away with uncertain blushes. This was new to them both and they were unsure how to proceed.

When they were finished eating, Link glanced at Zikan’s hands. The fairy had healed his knuckles and there was no evidence left that he had pummelled a man to within an inch of his life.

“Why’d you decide to let him live?”

“I didn’t,” Zikan said. “The queen said he’d be sentenced to death for his crimes.”

“I thought you wanted to be the one to bring him to justice though?”

“I did,” Zikan said softly. “But, I dunno. It’s like I saw my sisters face as I was hitting him, and I realised she wouldn’t want that of me. She wouldn’t have wanted me to take the law into my own hands for her sake. I almost didn’t stop, though. Seeing him stab you… It made me so angry.”

“That’s how I felt back at Gerudo valley,” Link admitted. “I wanted to kill him too. For hurting you and your sister.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t like to kill if I can help it,” Link shrugged, “and he was your mark. It was your call. You made it.”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I would do anything for you.” Link said the words quietly but Zikan heard and the blood rushed to his face. He didn’t say anything but, after a moment’s hesitation, he reached out his hand and placed it on top of Link’s. Link twisted his hand slightly so that they could curl their fingers around each others. They stayed like that, enjoying each other’s company with only the occasional comment for the next hour.


	19. Chapter 19

Link was restless that night, waking from nightmares on multiple occasions until he finally gave up on sleep. He’d hoped his positive interaction with Zikan and the comfortable bed would help him sleep fitfully but apparently, there would be no such luck.

Instead, he went for a walk around the castle grounds, losing himself in thought. It was just starting to grow light when Link rounded into a courtyard and spotted a familiar person leaning against the railings, staring at the sky as it shifted from black to blue, yellow and pink.

“Can’t sleep?” Link asked, stepping up beside Neaveaf and joining her in watching the sky change.

“I’m a morning person,” Neaveaf said, her slender shoulders gently arching upwards in a shrug. “I like to watch the sunrise. Also, fancy castle life doesn’t suit me. I’ll be heading back to Gerudo Valley shortly.”

“I’ll be sorry to see you go.”

“I should hope you’ll visit, hero. You and that young voe of yours.”

“My – He’s not mine!” Link spluttered, feeling his face heat up. He wasn’t sure he’d ever done so much blushing in his life before meeting Zikan.

“Relax,” Neaveaf said, rolling her eyes with a laugh. “I take it you two have made up though? Knew you would.”

“Uh, yeah, we did.” Link rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. He wasn’t really one for talking, especially not about feelings, and he’d had to do a lot of both recently.

“Good for you,” Neaveaf said. “Seeing the two of you clearly denying your feelings for each other was what made me wanna join you, y’know. Felt like if I didn’t try and help, you’d never get anywhere.” Link wasn’t sure whether to be offended or grateful about the information. It was true that Neaveaf did help, but Link liked to think they would have gotten there on their own eventually.

“Uh, well, thanks then?”

Neaveaf roared with laughter at his awkwardness. “Tell ya what, hero. Thank me with that rematch.”

“Now?” Link never went anywhere without his sword, so he was prepared, but he wasn’t sure Hyrule Castle gardens was the best place. Neaveaf seemed adamant though, and Link had promised her. He wasn’t one to back down from his promises. Besides, maybe a good fight was exactly what he needed to relieve the tension in his muscles.

“No, time like the present,” she said, dropping a smoke bomb. When the smoke cleared moments later, Neaveaf was gone. Link, however, had fast reflexes and good intuition and easily parried her blow from behind. “Very good.”

“Not too bad yourself.” Link caught her free hand as she tried to press a concealed blade into his side. He hoped she would have stopped short of piercing his flesh had he been a bit slower on the uptake.

“Until I can beat you, I will never be good enough.” She spun her body into a backwards flip, yanking her arm free from Link’s hold and using the momentum of her move to bring her foot into Link’s chin. The blond grunted in pain, taking a step backwards. 

“Ow,” he moaned, rubbing his chin.

“Do you complain about the pain in a fight with a real enemy?” Neaveaf teased. “Surely that would just give them an opportunity to do this –” While Link was still rubbing his chin, she sprung back at him, twisting her body at the last minute to bring her foot into a roundhouse kick, winding Link.

“Okay, no more Mr nice guy,” Link said, forcing himself to shove the pain aside. Clearly, Neaveaf was handling this as she would a real fight, so Link couldn’t take it easy on her. If anything, taking it easy on her was rude.

“Finally.” Neaveaf grinned. She met Link’s blade in the air with her scimitar, flipping backwards when he swung again and narrowly missing the second blow. “Curse me for only bringing one blade out,” she said through gritted teeth as their blades clashed again. As a duel wielded, she definitely lacked some of the strength to hold back Link’s attacks with only one weapon. She was still giving Link a run for his money, though. She was agile in a way Link was not (and Link was pretty nimble on his feet) and it really showed. Especially when she flipped her body in ways that it shouldn’t move, using the momentum to land a blow on a part of Link that was unguarded.

When her foot caught his chin, causing Link to see stars monetarily, something shifted in the hero. Suddenly, it was like he forgot he was in a friendly skirmish and was suddenly thrown back to the previous year and the battle that almost killed him. His eyes darkened and narrowed. It wasn’t a shift Neaveaf missed.

When Link moved, he was like a storm; an unstoppable, deadly force of nature. He moved faster; his blows came down stronger. He seemed not to tire, his blows coming in frenzied quick succession. Neaveaf, still only mortal compared to whatever Link seemed to have become, was quickly panting, her dark skin glistening with beads of sweat.

“Link,” she said, panting. “Chill out, it’s just me.”

Link didn’t seem to hear her. Neaveaf narrowly missed a blow that would have cut her head clean off and finally fear sparked in her eyes. Link was pushing her into a corner, and she was quickly growing too tired to stop him. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that soon she would be trapped between the seemingly possessed hero and the castle wall. Knowing that would be the end of her, she ran at the wall, glad when Link gave chase and used it as an extra momentum to flip herself over him so that it was him cornered and her with the expanse of castle grounds to her back.

“Link,” she said again. “Snap out of it.” She swung her scimitar, wincing as the force of his sword clashing against it reverberated through her body. She had to use both hands to hold off his blade. “Wake up, idiot.” Her teeth were grinding together now, the sweat tickling her face as it slid from her hairline to her jaw. She looked into Link’s eyes and was surprised to see fear.

Deciding to take a risk and hoping it wouldn’t be the last thing she did, the Gerudo woman flipped away from Link again and then, taking a deep breath, she dropped her weapon.

“I’m not trying to hurt you,” she said, gently as she was able.

Link still approached her, not looking as though he would back down. She squeezed her eyes shut as his sword glistened in the early morning sunlight. Maybe she had been wrong after all. “Do what you gotta,” she said quietly. If she were going to die, she didn’t want to die afraid.

The blow never came. Neaveaf didn’t risk opening her eyes until she heard the gentle thud of Link’s sword hit the grass. The sheer horror in Link’s eyes when she did eventually look at him was heartbreaking.

“Neaveaf,” he said, panting, the excursion finally catching up on him. “I –”

Neaveaf stepped forward a punched his shoulder. Hard. “You bastard!”

“I’m so sorry.” Link seemed to deflate, his legs giving way. The shift from just moments before was unnerving. Suddenly he looked like a child.

“Hey,” she said, a little uncomfortable with the shift like she would almost prefer murderous Link back instead of what she had now. “It’s fine. I’m okay.”

“I almost killed you.”

Neaveaf snorted unconvincingly. “Like you could.” They both knew she was lying but it was still good to hear.

“This is why I need to be alone,” Link said, voice barely audible. “I’m dangerous. I can’t be around people. Eventually, I’ll end up hurting someone. Or worse.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Neaveaf said. Apparently, her previous fear had vanished and she had forgotten that Link had almost killed her. Link frowned.

“Everyone has baggage. Sure, yours might be a little deadlier than most but don’t go thinking that makes you special. You know what I think? You’re just using this as an excuse because you’re scared to commit.”

From where Link was still on the ground, he stared up at Neaveaf, eyebrows knitted together. _Was_ he scared to commit? The idea of opening himself up to someone, making himself vulnerable, was pretty terrifying truth be told. As far as Link could see, though, it was just as likely that he was terrified that he would accidentally kill Zikan.

“Look, far from me to tell you what to do, but maybe you should _talk_ to the kid? Have you told him what you went through?”

Link looked down at the grass. “Not much of it,” he said.

“Then start there. Tell him your story, tell him how it affects you. Then, let him decide. It’s as simple as that, really.”

That didn’t sound simple to Link, but he nodded anyway. She was right after all. Zikan had opened up about his sister and Link had yet to go into detail about what haunted his nightmares. However hard it was to talk about and whatever outcome it might cause, Link owed Zikan that much.

“You’re right,” he said.

“I usually am.” Neaveaf held out her hand for Link and, after a moment’s hesitation, he accepted it, allowing her to haul him to his feet. He really appreciated that despite him almost killing her, Neaveaf wasn’t demanding answers from him for herself. It was a terrifying thought, but Link thought he could handle speaking to Zikan. He wasn’t ready to open up to anyone else yet though. He still needed time.

“I’m sorry again,” he said sheepishly. Thanks to her laidback attitude, he wasn’t feeling quite as bad about the whole situation as he could have been. It terrified him that it had happened, and he definitely had to figure out a way to get a handle on it before it happened again. It could have been so much worse though and Link had to take his blessings where he could.

“Hey, at least it wasn’t a boring fight. Plus, I gave as good as I got. You’ve got some killer bruises,” she teased, nudging his shoulder. Link rubbed his sore jaw as she brought attention to his bruises. It was definitely true, Neaveaf really hadn’t gone easier on him either. In fact, she had been a brutal and formidable foe that Link wasn’t sure he wanted to go up against again anytime soon.

The fact that Neaveaf found a fight where her opponent had literally lost control and almost killed her fun was a little worrying though. Link would have to talk to her about that…


	20. Chapter 20

Link had just finished saddling up Epona when Zikan joined him in the royal stables. Neaveaf had left for Gerudo Valley a couple of hours ago and the pair of them were off to Lon Lon Ranch to return Sage and let Malon know they were alive. Link doubted the ranch girl had worried quite as much as Zelda had, but they had still been gone longer than initially planned.

Zikan walked straight over to Sage, already saddled and ready, and patted her nose, laughing as she nudged him a little roughly in what he knew to be an affectionate gesture.

“The queen offered me a new position,” he said, not turning to face Link. “One where I’d be able to travel around Hyrule a little bit.”

Link didn’t quite understand why his heart sank. He should be happy; it was what Zikan wanted. “That’s great.”

Zikan turned then, smiling at Link. “It is,” he agreed. There was a beat and then he admitted, “I turned her down.”

“You did?” Was it his imagination, or did Link’s breath hitch? “Why?”

“I want to leave it all behind,” Zikan said, “my past. I want to start afresh. I want a new adventure.” Link understood that more than anyone.

“So, what now?” Link asked.

Zikan glanced away, as if he were embarrassed by what he said next. When he looked back, his eye contact was intense. “I guess I’ll just wait and see.”

They raced one another to Lon Lon Ranch, leaving little chance for talking on the gallop over. Epona, who could outrun any horse, got Link to the gate first and there they waited, watching Zikan and Sage as they rushed to join them. It was clear the two had bonded over the past few weeks. Link was fairly certain Zikan wasn’t keen on returning the horse. In fact, Link was sure that he was mentally preparing a speech to convince Malon to let him have her at that very minute. He was certainly concentrating hard on something…

Malon greeted them with a ‘You’re alive,’ and a hug each, much to Zikan’s surprise.

“You’re not angry at us?”

“Why would I be angry at you?” She laughed and shook her head. “I know Link will always be alright and will always protect anyone he’s with. There was nothing to be worried about.” Link was glad of her confidence in him, he only wished he could share it.

Malon insisted they stay for dinner and refused to hear their protests. Once they had agreed, she joined the men as they led their horses to the field with the others.

“You and Sage seem to have bonded,” she said to Zikan as she fell into step beside him.

“She’s brilliant,” Zikan said, patting the mare’s neck. Sage snorted her agreement. “I actually…” Zikan hesitated and Link glanced at him, offering a small encouraging smile as he realised Zikan was going to go for it. Zikan swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I was actually wondering whether I could buy her from you?”

“Absolutely not,” Malon said firmly. As Zikan’s face fell, she laughed. “She’s yours. I don’t sell friends to friends.”

“We’re friends?” Zikan asked, stunned.

“We’re not?” Malon arched a red eyebrow.

“I… Yes, sorry. I mean, thank you!”

Link joined in with Malon’s laughter as the younger man continued to ramble in a fluster.

When Malon left them to start cooking (she firmly put her foot down when both men offered to help), Link and Zikan walked the grounds together. They fell into a natural rhythm, their paces matching. Their hands remained at their sides, so close they occasionally brushed until, finally, Link threaded his fingers through Zikan’s and stopped walking.

“Later, after we’ve eaten, I think we need to talk,” he said softly. “I think it’s high time I told you some stuff.”

“Are you sure?” Zikan asked, not needing Link to clarify what he meant. Link hesitated, searching Zikan’s eyes for something that he apparently found. He nodded.

“I’m sure.”

The meal Malon prepared was delicious and about enough to feed fifty hungry soldiers. Between them all, they made a good dent in it though, washing it down with fresh Lon Lon milk. Afterwards, with their bellies full, they sat by the fire and talked. Link and Zikan filled Malon in on what had happened over the past couple of weeks. While they failed to mention their budding relationship, the way she watched them suggested that she, like everyone else seemed to, had figured it out herself. She didn’t say anything, which worried Zikan. He hadn’t forgotten the strong sense he’d received when they had first collected Sage and Epona that Malon was in love with Link. Even though he now knew Link had never been interested in return, it still made him feel terrible. He didn’t want to accidentally rub anything in her face, especially when she had been so lovely and generous to them both.

When Link and Zikan tried to leave, Malon practically locked them inside.

“No way,” she scolded like a mother to their children. “You boys are staying the night!”

Eventually, Malon bade them goodnight, claiming she had to get at least a few hours sleep before she’d woke at the call of the cucco. She ventured upstairs, leaving Link and Zikan downstairs with the makeshift but comfortable beds she had thrown together for them. Only then, when they were alone, sat by the crackling fire, did Link find the small amount of confidence he needed to begin telling his tale.

“I assume you know the popular stories,” Link said, eyes fixated on the fire, watching the flames dance. “The ones that say I bested every dungeon I entered with barely a scratch upon me.” There had been so many of those stories afterwards. And, in fairness, the people never saw Link beat up so it was easy for them to imagine him never hurt. To them, he was some all-powerful being, strong as a god and unable to be hurt. That wasn’t the case but Link had never told anyone otherwise. The pain he had suffered through had been his to bear alone.

“I was never convinced,” Zikan said. “How could one boy be so strong. Even _with_ a piece of the triforce.”

“Then you had more sense than a lot of people. I almost died multiple times. It was my foresight to stock up on fairies and potions that kept me alive. I became quite a regular to the great fairy in those days.”

“So how did you survive and win?” Zikan asked, also staring at the fire. He reached out and brushed his fingers against Link’s, glad when the hero didn’t pull away.

“Stubbornness, perseverance, luck… And, I guess, the threat that the entire world might be destroyed if I failed.” Link threaded his fingers through Zikan’s, squeezing his hand. The warm touch offered more comfort than Link would have thought possible. “The worst fight I had – even worse than Ganondorf – was in the water temple. I went up against… well, I guess, myself.”

If Link closed his eyes, he could see it. Walking into the room only to find a great expanse of misty, shallow water with a sole tree in its centre. Thinking the room was weird, but empty, he’d ran past the tree, heading to the door on the other side. Too focused on his mission, he never noticed the lack of a reflection as he crossed the water, only to find the door barred at the other end.

That was when _he_ had stepped out.

Dark Link.

It had been a test, a way to push himself into being ready. Or so Link had thought.

A fight against oneself was no easy feat. Every time Link struck; his dark self easily parried. When Link eventually did get a hit in, the dark being would spawn back, without injury and with breath that never seemed to grow short. He easily mimicked Link’s attacks. When Link began panting from excursions, Dark Link only unfurled a shockingly white smile on his grey face. His red eyes narrowed, and he jumped, attacking Link with a blow the hero was too tired to properly counter. His red blood splattered the floor, diluting as it mixed with the water. As Link looked back into the demonic smile of his counterpart, he knew those wouldn’t be the only drops to mingle with the seemingly endless pool of water.

“-How did you defeat him?” Zikan asked, drawing Link back into the present. The hero blinked, the firelight swimming in his vision momentarily.

“I hit him with the Megaton Hammer,” Link said. “he couldn’t block it. The thing is, though, I _didn’t_ defeat him. He’s always been with me, maybe he always will be.”

“But you haven’t had to fight him again… _right_?” Zikan started off so certain but the look on Link’s face was enough to have him falter.

“After Ganondorf was defeated, Zelda offered me my lost years back but, I dunno,” Link ran a hand through his floppy blond hair. “Something stopped me accepting. After everything I’d been through, it felt like it would… _take_ from the experience if I went back to live those seven years and grow up normally. So, I left Hyrule instead. Only a short few weeks later I was attacked in the forest, Epona stolen from me. In my quest to save her, I ended up in a place called Termina, and once again had to fight for my life.”

The giant moon, falling from the sky and ready to destroy the world, flickered into his mind. He could still hear the Happy Mask Man’s pleas to return Majora’s Mask to him if he listened hard enough. Link had only wanted his ocarina and Epona back. Somehow, he’d ended up on a month-long, yet also only three days long, quest that once again, was almost the end of him.

He had the Triforce of courage, however. Doing heroic deeds, saving the people, it was what Link was destined for. So, he continued travelling and helping people where he could.

Then, one year ago, there was a storm that caused Link and Epona to seek shelter in a large cave. Somehow, Link managed to find some wood dry enough to start a fire and he sat, shivering by its meagre light as he waited the storm out.

He’d drifted off, leaving the fire to burn down and the embers extinguish, when a loud rumble of thunder jolted him awake. At least, he’d thought it was the thunder in that dizzying moment of confusion upon waking so abruptly. When he heard it again, however, he realised that at the same moment the thunder had shaken the earth, a twig had snapped under the boot of someone close by. Someone lurking by the cave.

Link picked up his sword and bow and ventured outside to investigate. It was so dark, and the rain fell in heavy sheets that made it near impossible to see more than a few steps ahead. That is why, when the sword came for him, only his reflexes stopped Link from dying there and then. On impulse, he threw his body sidewards, and the blade only penetrated his shoulder, rather than his heart.

The pain made his vision swim in and out, but Link saw the red eyes of his attacker. He felt like he’d been seeing them everywhere he went for the past few years. This time, though, they were real and not just some new torment his mind had conducted for him.

As the sword withdrew from his body, Link fought with himself to stay conscious and alert. He readied his own sword, scanning his surroundings but unable to spot his attacker. He was quickly soaked and freezing, his teeth chattering. Sounds all around him had him spinning this way and that. The frantic spinning mixed with the blood loss made him dizzy, just about ready to collapse.

It was what Dark Link was hoping for.

When he jumped at Link from the darkness, Link barely managed to block his attack. His dark counterpart’s sword cut Link’s hand at his clumsy attempt of a parry. When Link tried to swipe back, he cut through only air.

Link didn’t know how long they continued that way, him in no state to parry the attacks that came from seemingly nowhere. Each time, he ended up with a new wound. Some were just flesh wounds, others more deadly. How he was still clinging to life, Link wasn’t sure.

Link wasn’t just fighting for his life, however. He was observing and, eventually, he worked out a pattern.

Eventually, when he wasn’t sure his legs would hold him upright a moment more, his doppelgänger jumped forward to attack him and Link got in there first. His own sword sliced straight through his head, right between the eyes. His blood, unexpectantly as red and Link’s own, soaked the hero. His red eyes widened in surprise, locking with Link’s and staying that way as the light diminished from them.

While Link pulled his sword free, panting heavily and having to use it to hold himself upright, Dark Link’s body crumbled to the floor. As Link watched, it seemed to sink into the ground, vanishing from sight. Link wondered whether it was returning to its place bound as his shadow.

Somehow, Link managed to crawl back to the cave. Out of the rain, he rolled painfully onto his back, his body too full of holes for him to try and press his hands over just one of them. Not that he’d have the strength left to staunch any flow of blood anyway.

His gaze rolled unfocused to the ceiling and he realised he was going to die there.

He also realised that he didn’t mind. He was just tired. So very tired. A long, uninterrupted sleep would be perfect.

His eyes flickered shut.

“-Whoa! Hold up,” Zikan said as Link trailed off. “You better not be ending it there! What happened?”

“Well I clearly didn’t die,” Link teased, but his voice was too tight for the humour to properly come across.

“But how did you live?”

“Epona found someone. I was taken back to a village and treated by their healer. It took me months to recover. For a long time, they weren’t sure I would.”

“Couldn’t they have just taken you to the Great Fairy? Y’know, like you did with me?”

“We were too far from any fairy fountain. Many of the people had never even seen a fairy before, let alone the Great Fairy. They had potions which helped with my healing, but a lot of it was done with natural pastes to draw out infection and stitches. It’s why my scars are so bad.”

“Link,” Zikan said softly, squeezing his fingers. “I – I’m so sorry.”

Link shook his head and smiled slightly. That smile quickly dropped though. “Do you understand?” he asked. “I see him everywhere. Sometimes I don’t realise he’s not real. It makes me dangerous.”

“I’ve snapped you out of it before,” Zikan said firmly. “I’ll do it again if I have to.”

“But –”

“Neaveaf warned me that you might try and scare me away. She told me to fight for what I want. I want you, Link. Even if you’re broken. _Especially_ because you’re broken. Did you forget? I have my demons too.”

“That doesn’t mean –”

“Oh, shut up,” Zikan argued, rolling his eyes. “If you don’t want to be with me, just say so. But don’t try and scare me away because you think it’ll protect me.”

They were facing each other now, Zikan’s face burning with determination. It gave Link hope. Without realising what he was doing until it was done, Link leaned forward and brought his lips to Zikan’s. This time, instead of being scared off, the younger man drew him closer and kissed him back.


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning, Zikan stirred awake when the front door clicked behind Malon. Still new at the whole relationship thing, Link and Zikan hadn’t slept in each other’s arms or anything, but they’d been close, their fingers still twined. It was unlikely Malon would have missed that.

Glancing at the still sleeping Link, Zikan was pleased to see that he looked peaceful, his lips even tugged into a small smile as he gently breathed in and out. No nightmares had tormented him during the night. Zikan, too, had been nightmare free though he was sure it was just a short reprieve for them both. They might have found one another but love alone couldn’t cure them. It helped though, and that was all Zikan could ask for.

Moving slowly, in a desperate attempt not to wake Link, Zikan disentangled himself from their bedding and followed Malon outside. He found her in the stables, mucking out the cows.

“Let me do that,” he said in ways of greeting.

“Don’t be silly,” Malon protested. 

“It’s the least I could do.” Malon opened her mouth to protest again but Zikan was already taking the pitchfork from her hands. She stepped back and watched him in silence for a few minutes as he continued to fork through the straw, separating soiled from dry.

“I’m sorry,” Zikan said finally.

“What for?” Malon seemed genuinely confused. Zikan stopped working to face her. She had tied her long red hair out of her face before entering the stables and it made her look so young, despite her being four years his senior.

“You like Link, don’t you?”

Malon sighed, bringing her hands up to wind around the back of her neck. “I do,” she admitted. “I won’t insult you by lying. But you should never apologise for being the one he chose. I always knew Link didn’t like me in that way. I’ve just been happy being his friend all these years. And now I’m happy that he’s happy, so don’t be sorry, okay?”

A beautiful smile spread across her face and for a moment Zikan couldn’t fathom why Link would want him when he could have her. Malon seemed to read his thoughts as her smile dropped.

“Don’t you dare go doubting yourself. You are just as worthy of love as anyone. And, if you don’t mind me saying, I can see why he likes you. You’re a catch,” she said playfully, winking in a friendly way before nudging his shoulder. “So, seriously, don’t let me catch you thinking I would be a better match for Link when we both know that’s not true.”

“Sorry,” Zikan said sheepishly. She was right. If Zikan wanted to be worthy of Link, then he had to believe he was worthy. Getting jealous of everyone Link was close to wasn’t doing him any favours. Neither was feeling guilty for being happy. His sister certainly wouldn’t want that. She had always been very clear that his happiness was what was most important.

Malon grabbed a broom then, and the two of them worked on clearing the stables together in comfortable silence. Once they were finished, Malon leaned on the tip of her broom and hesitated.

“I knew your sister quite well,” she said. Zota had mentioned Malon once or twice, so this wasn’t completely news to Zikan. “She talked about you a lot. She was really proud of you. That’s why I know you’re good for Link, y’know? Because your sister was one of the kindest people I knew, and she sang your praise so highly.”

“She did?” Zikan could feel his eyes welling up. Over the past few weeks, Zikan had found thinking and talking about Zota a little easier. It would always hurt, of course, but he was sure that if Malon had tried to tell him this at the beginning of his journey with Link he wouldn’t have wanted to hear it. While he still had a long way to go, his journey had definitely helped heal him in multiple ways. He had been angry at the world, himself and his sister when Link had met him. While that anger hadn’t gone, it had been tamed. Zikan felt happier for it.

“She loved you a lot,” Malon said. “You know that, right?” Since her death, there had been times when Zikan hadn’t been able to stop the thoughts that questioned that fact. If she had loved him, why had she left him? But it wasn’t about him, and her decision didn’t take away from the fact that yes, she had loved him.

“I know,” he said. And then, because he suddenly wanted to talk and Malon was there and she understood and was so kind, Zikan found himself opening up. “I think I knew, even before she was attacked, that she was struggling. I just… I didn’t know how to help her.”

“It isn’t your fault.” Malon reached over, sliding an arm around Zikan’s shoulder and pulling him against her. The simple gesture turned out to be much needed, and Zikan felt himself sag into her side.

“It wasn’t her fault either,” Zikan said quietly, realising just how true it was when he said it. He wasn’t sure he’d realised until just that minute how much he’d blamed her.

“I know,” Malon agreed, squeezing him tighter.

Malon and Zikan were with the horses outside when Link joined them.

“Hey guys,” he said, his smile a little uneasy as if he were worried they weren’t getting along. He seemed to relax at Zikan’s bright grin.

“Morning,” Zikan said. “I’ve just been helping Malon with some of her chores.”

“Oh,” Link stiffened, biting his lip sheepishly. “Sorry! I should… What’s left? Let me help.”

Malon poked his shoulder playfully. “Absolutely not, mister,” she scolded. “I think after all these years you’ve earned a chance to sit back, relax and watch everyone else do some hard work.”

“Besides,” Zikan said, “we’ve got it covered.”

“Hell yeah we do,” Malon said, holding up her hand. Zikan gave her a high five and Link couldn’t help but burst into laughter, staring fondly at the pair.

Later, when Zikan finally joined Link under the tree he was lounging under, Link slipped his arm easily around his waist, almost without thinking. It was as if he just automatically felt the need to be closer to Zikan. The younger man certainly wasn’t going to complain.

“I’m glad to see you and Malon are getting along,” Link said.

“Did you think we wouldn’t?”

“Well, you were pretty cold with me when we first met so I wasn’t sure.”

Zikan cleared his throat awkwardly. “About that –”

“You don’t need to apologise,” Link said.

“Oh, I wasn’t going to,” Zikan said, feeling suddenly confident. “I was gonna say that I think it was because I found you really attractive but if you don’t want me to continue –”

Link’s arm tightened around Zikan’s waist. “Oh no, _definitely_ continue.”

“No, no,” Zikan said, trying to wiggle away. “You _clearly_ don’t want to hear it.”

Link wasn’t having any of it. As Zikan tried to worm free from him, he wiggled his fingers as the younger man’s waist, until Zikan gasped out a surprised giggle. Link’s eyes flashed mischievously, and he pounced, pinning Zikan underneath him and tickling him to within an inch of his life. Only when Zikan started pleading for mercy between helpless laughter did Link finally stop.

As Zikan gasped for breath, their eyes locked. For a moment it was almost as if time stopped for them both. Blood flooded both their cheeks but neither broke eye contact.

There was silence for a moment. It was Zikan who broke it, a surprising question falling from his lips, echoing one he had asked before, back on the first day they had met. “Why’re you here?” The question came out a little breathily.

Link gaze intensified, the words ringing reminiscently in his ears. This time when he answered, his words were different. This time Zikan didn’t need saving. This time, Zikan had saved _him_. “Because I love you,” Link said, and then he leaned down and they kissed. It was a slow kiss, like they had all the time in the world.

Link really hoped they did.

Nobody knew what the future held, but Link was certain that his had Zikan in it. Whether they travelled the world or found a quiet house by the river, as long as they did it all together, Link didn’t care what it was.

There would be bad days, there would be nights where their dreams were plagued by nightmares. There would probably be tears and self-doubt. But, there would also be love and laughter and understanding. They would be patient with one another. And, of course, Link would make sure they always had a collection of pots on standby ready to blow off some steam –

Whatever their future held, as long as they were together, Link was ready to face it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ended up posting the lot together in the end as nobody was reading XD If anyone does make it this far, thank you so much for giving this fic a chance. I had a lot of fun writing it and hope you enjoyed <3


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